A stream flowing into the St. Croix River near Grantsburg runs brown with sediment
The wall of a waste pond at a sand mine near Grantsburg burst in April, sending fine sediment flowing down a stream and into the St. Croix River. The Country Messenger newspaper reports:
…Tiller Corporation was unaware that the berm had been failing until authorities visited the mine. Given the time between when the complaint was first made and authorities first contacted the mine, it is possible that sediment had been seeping from the frac sand washing pond for at least three days. No estimate has been made of the amount of sediment that made its way into the river.
Caron said that the containment pond was newly constructed and that it had been in use for only ‘a couple of days.’
The St. Croix River is designated as a National Scenic Riverway, and therefore subject to federal oversight by the National Park Service (NPS). Jill Medland, who serves as Environmental Coordinator of the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, said that unnatural quantities of sediment make their way into the river, it is cause for environmental concern.
“We don’t yet know site specific impacts, but in general, sediment has an impact on the river bottom which cumulatively impacts the sediment of the river and could affect fish spawning and mussels, and things like that,” Medland said.
The booming industry has been controversial in other parts of Wisconsin and Minnesota, including in the Minnesota city of Winona. Concern about the industry growing in the St. Croix River region prompted local citizens to sponsor a forum about the issue in St. Croix Falls earlier this month.
Officials from the NPS, WDNR, and Burnett County have continued monitoring the event and will continue to track any environmental concerns that arise. While Ferris acknowledged the mine had not been inspected regularly, he said that collective inspections by the WDNR and county would become a fixture. The most recent inspection of the mine was last fall.
Tiller Corporation has also implemented a stricter inspection schedule effective immediately.
“We’re moving forward with a more vigorous monitoring schedule that includes more frequent visual inspections and water quality monitoring,” Caron said. “When we’re mining a natural resource in close proximity to another important natural resource (St. Croix River), we have duties and responsibilities to protect it, and it’s our intention to do that.”
A joint investigation by Burnett County officials and WDNR has been launched, and should be completed within a couple of weeks. This is the first time the mine has had any violations since opening last July. Ferris was unsure what, if any, penalties would be levied against the mine or mine operator.
“We haven’t decided anything yet,” Ferris said. “Our goal was to get proper containment put in, and when they’re done with that, we’ll get together with the WDNR and talk about that (penalties).”
The National Park Service is also in the process of determining what recourse they have in terms of citing the mine.
The St. Croix River and northern Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness are two of the most scenic natural places in the Upper Midwest. Art inspired by their beauty is the subject of a show this summer in Stillwater.
“Northern Solitudes” will open June 8 at ArtReach St. Croix, featuring oil paintings by Mary Jo Van Dell and photography by John Kaul. Kaul primarily shoots photos in the St. Croix River watershed, while Van Dell’s focus is on the Boundary Waters.
The video below features their art, as well as the artists and others involved with the show (including yours truly).
The show is co-sponsored by St. Croix 360 and the Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness. The opening reception on Friday, June 8 is free and open to the public, and the show will run through July 14 at the nonprofit’s gallery across the street from the Stillwater Library.
Details:
Who: Mary Jo Van Dell, John Kaul, ArtReach St. Croix, St. Croix 360, Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness
What: “Northern Solitudes” art show
Where: ArtReach St. Croix, 224 North 4th St., Stillwater
When: Opening Reception Friday, June 8, 6 – 8 p.m., artist’s open house: Saturday, June 9, noon – 4 p.m., show runs until July 14
Silver carp leaping out of the water (Photo courtesy Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee )
A recent segment by Channel 5 News showed a scary picture of what could be in store for the St. Croix River if invasive Asian carp become more prevalent. Another carp was found at Prescott in April, and a public forum to discuss the issue is scheduled for next Wednesday in Stillwater.
Reporter Bill Lunn recently traveled to the Illinois River, near Peoria, the “Asian carp capital,” to experience first-hand the carp problem, and to talk with area anglers, business-owners and boaters about what effects the carp have had on their lives and livelihoods.
The reported impacts are devastating. One marina owner said people have just stopped coming, as nobody wants to get hit by one of the leaping fish. A study in the region found that 33 percent of boats have been damaged by carp and 47 of boaters have been hit by flying carp.
Asian Carp and the St. Croix River
Public forum sponsored by the St. Croix River Association
7 p.m., Wednesday, May 16
Water Street Inn, 101 Water Street South, Stillwater, MN
For More Information: 715-483-3300 or info@scramail.com
It’s obvious that the folks who organize the Snake River Canoe Race have been doing it for a while. Saturday’s race, the thirty-second annual, was well-organized, yet relaxed. Things ran smoothly, and everyone seemed to have a good time.
The Snake River is one of the major tributaries of the St. Croix. It flows about 100 miles from Aitkin County to its mouth near Pine City. It’s a beautiful and mostly wild river deserving of celebration in the spring.
I paddled the race with my buddy Slim — it was our first canoe race, and our first time paddling on the Snake River. I also borrowed a GoPro camera, which is a nearly indestructible digital video camera made for capturing extreme sports … or relatively sedate river cruises. Check out the video I put together below.
There were 176 canoes entered in the race, from hardcore racers in their skinny specialized canoes to many people from the area (and beyond) paddling aluminum canoes. Racers start six at a time from the County Highway 3 bridge, at one-minute intervals. We then paddled downstream about 14 miles to the finish line at the Kanabec History Center.
The fastest time of the day was 1 hour and 57 minutes, posted by Devin Arenz and Dama Henry of the Twin Cities. Two aluminum canoes came in just twenty minutes later and only seven seconds apart: Doug Berg and Keith Canny finished in 2 hours, 17 minutes and 30 seconds, while Lynn Stegeman and Brody Halverson of Mora clocked a time of 2 hours, 17 minutes, 37 seconds.
The nature of canoe racing is you get plenty of time to talk to the people passing you (or who you are passing). We talked to people who had first run the race in the 1980s. There were also more than a few canoes featuring fathers in the stern and 11- or 12-year-old kids in the bow.
The river banks are mostly undeveloped, but we occasionally saw small groups of spectators on the banks. I overheard another paddler saying, “This is the best parade I’ve ever been in.”
Birds of a Feather Paddle
Saturday, May 12
8:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Celebrate the spring migration with a paddle on the St. Croix River! On Saturday, May 12, from 8:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., the public can join a National Park Service Ranger in paddling from Minnesota Interstate State Park to Osceola Landing.
Robin Maercklein, a biologist with the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, will lead the guided kayak program to see the migratory birds of spring and learn about how the Riverway serves as a corridor for their travel.
Kayaks and related equipment, including a personal flotation device, will be provided. A 30-minute paddling instruction and safety session will occur prior to departure and must be attended by all participants. Participants should have previous paddling experience and must be 18 years of age or older. Paddling time for the 6 ½ mile trip is approximately 3 1/2 hours. Shuttle is included.
This program is co-sponsored by the St. Croix River Association. The cost is $25.00 per person. Space is limited to 8 participants. To register, contact the River Association at (715) 483-3300 or www.stcroixriverassociation.org. Registration deadline is May 4.
This is the first paddle in the 2012 Watershed Moments Paddle Series which will explore the unique nature, history, and stories of the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway by kayak. Dates and topics below. Times and
locations vary.
June 10: Sunday Morning Coffee (River Conservation)
This 27 lb. Bighead carp was caught by commercial fishermen near Prescott on April 19. (MN DNR photo)
With news coming out last week that another invasive Bighead carp was caught in the St. Croix River, near Prescott, this threat to the future of the river is a hot topic of discussion for everyone who loves the St. Croix.
In other rivers, these carp have destroyed fisheries by eating all the organisms native fish depend on, and created dangerous boating condition when another variety of Asian carp, the silver carp, have arrived. It is the silver carp which famously leap out of the water as boats pass.
As such impacts become more and more possible, understanding what this could mean for boaters, anglers, marinas and others is critical.
The St. Croix River Association is sponsoring a forum in Stillwater on May 16 about the issue, and is inviting all interested members of the public to attend, learn more about the carp and what they could mean for the St. Croix River, and what can be done to control their spread.
Details:
Asian Carp and the St. Croix River
Public Forum
7 p.m., Wednesday, May 16
Water Street Inn, 101 Water Street South, Stillwater, MN
For More Information: 715-483-3300 or info@scramail.com
Boaters, anglers, marina-operators and others are invited to learn about potential impacts of invasive carp and discuss what we can do to protect the St. Croix River.
