NDR Boundary Waters

T

Tom Ayers

Active member
Most on hear probably don't know I'm an avid canoer since the mid 60s . The area I enjoy canoeing the most is the Minnesota Boundary Waters. I vacationed with my family for nine years on Lake Lac La Croix on the Canadian side starting in 1965 . We would spend some of our fishing trips on the US side in the BWCA . I did a 10 day trip in 69 and again with my son in 2013 and 2015 . We have another trip planned for this august. It's come to my attention that the US forestry Service is considering allowing sulfur copper mining next to the Boundary Waters which will surely pollute these pure water ways. I'm attaching a link for any one that would like to make a comment against this proposal. There is no cost to become involved. The more people that respond to the petition the better. I hope everyone will voice there concern. Thanks guys for taking the time to check the link out.
https://www.savetheboundarywaters.org/take-action/Comment

Tom
 
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Tom

I too love the Boundary Waters and Quetico. It's been many years since I've been up there, but have fond memories of it none the less. One of my favorite things about paddling up there was the purity of the water. We never filtered our water, as long as we got away from shore it was never a problem. When paddling we'd just have a cup with us and dip it in in the lake, drink and paddle on. Each lake seemed to have a unique taste, and at the end of a day of hard paddling, my buddy and I would reminisce about which lake we crossed that day tasted better. It will be a travesty upon nature if this goes through. Unfortunately it is on the other side of the divide and flows towards Hudson Bay, as there is much more lobbing already in place to aid in protecting the Great Lakes, hopefully they get some push back from the Canadian side. Unfortunately with The Don in office, I think any confrontation between environmental protection and economic gain will always see the later protected.

Chuck
 
That's why I posted the link on hear. The more that respond the better. From what I've read they have already held them back and just maybe we can save this area for future generations.

Tom
 
I love the Quetico. I go every other year (since 1995, 11 times so far) for a 9-11 day trip into the middle of off grid no where. The fish are huge, aggressive, and plentiful. Bald eagles, moose, black bear sightings are common. I have 3 boys and they started joining my buddy and I when they each turned 7. It is fun preparing, planning logistics, and simply being there with them. We fly into Minneapolis, pick up my buddy and his sons, drive 8 hours to Kashabowie, float plane for 30 minutes to the edge of the Quetico (protected air space), and canoe 6 hours (2 portages) to our destination (which shall remain a secret). Many awesome memories.

I'll share this info with the rest of my Quetico party.
 
Not to turn this too political, but the word I am hearing from some of my colleagues in federal agencies is that they are being told that there is a lot more of this to come from the new administration. Especially on the coal, oil & gas side.
Only saving grace may be that the Presidents son is an avid hunter and outspoken on conservation issues. We will see, hopefully they will strike a balance somewhere between full exploitation and all out tree-hugging.
 
My son informed me that we will be going every year going forward. He says he doesn't know how many good years the old man has left so we need to go more often. The last two trips have been 5 day and two camp sites covering 20 miles 4 to 6 of that being portages which we double portaged. This year we're going 26 miles with 6 miles of portages. The plan is to go lighter so we can single portage. The first time my son and I went it was just the two of us. Second trip four went and this trip there will be eight. My oldest daughter will be the sole female. She's taking her backpacking partner in her canoe so my son's buddies don't drive her nuts. We didn't really mean for it to get this big of a group. Next year it should be just the two of us. My son plans the route we take. We really enjoy bass fishing so we try to plan our trip around lakes that are good for bass. My son had only fished for walleye on lake Erie before going to the BWCA. We both feel bass fishing is much more exciting and good eating too. I'm thinking our next trip might be in to Quetico Park which I haven't been to since the early 70s

Tom
 
it's a personal preference, but a fresh walleye pulled from deep, cold water in the Quetico cooked over a campfire IN the Quetico is the best fresh water fish to eat in North America (IMHO).

the kids all fight over the walleye 'sushi' - that tender piece of meet by the cheek bone. one time, we cut the cheek and gave them sushi - it was so fresh it was wiggling in their mouths (nerves still firing). Needless to say with 6 boys ages 9-13 at the time, chaos followed.

But I do enjoy catching smallies. Caught 17 3-5lb smallies in a row one beautiful night on calm water as they were schooling around reeds, hitting dragon flies as they hit the reed on top water to lay their eggs. lb for lb, no better fight in a fresh water fish.
 
I like walleye but my best memories are from when I was young and we would stop for shore lunch. We had a native American for our guide on Lac La Croix and the rivers running up to three mile. He cooked the best fish I've ever had between two slices of bread. Bass was always my favorite. There was five in our family and my Dad would buy five Canadian and Minnesota fishing permits so most every year we brought home 75LBS of fish. We ate fish up to Christmas. Now they want you to catch and release a good bit. In the 60s there weren't nearly as many people as there are now. We were one of the first families to go to Campbells cabins on Lac La Croix . At that time it was mostly for corporate groups. I went up for nine years and my parents 24 years. Getting back there is on my bucket list. Thinking in 2018 building a 15ft. Garvey with my Raddison canoe on top running from Crane lake into Lac La Croix setup camp then paddle the river up to three mile which I've been to several times and then continue up to Beaver House. The question will be how busy is the area. I don't much like seeing other people. My understanding is most fly into Three mile and Beaver House. We always did our best fishing between snake falls and Three mile. I think most don't go by canoe because it involves nine portages round trip in and out. I can't wait for this August.

Tom
 
Haven't had fried walleye or perch since high school, you're making my mouth water!
 
I looked it up and there are walleye and perch in your state. So I'm thinking you have no excuse after hunting season is over.

Tom
 
You are correct! But its a long drive up to the TN river valley!

Our biologists actually see yellow perch in shock boat surveys from time to time in a couple of creeks down here. But they are few and far between.
 
It's odd how regional preference affects desirability of fish. Here in Maine, where yellow perch are common, many ice fishermen toss them on the ice hoping to get an eagle to come close for a photo. I think that qualifies as "wanton waste", but I've never heard of a ticket issued.
 
You gotta be kidding?
We mainly caught perch ice fishing, somedays we took them straight to the shoreline, filleted & fried them right up.
 
Jeff,I have seen the same behavior directed at whitefish in the West. One year while we were fishing the Gallatin R. we ran into some fisherman who were tossing every Rocky Mountain Whitefish they caught up on the bank... We tracked the fish down and found where they were camping via an offer to cook them dinner. They were amazed at how delicate their flavor was when compared to trout. Great Lakes round whitefish are some of my favorites, broiled or smoked. They share the same genus designation.

Did we alter their perspective? Yes! Did we change their behavior? Who knows?

'Talk about your plenty, talk about your ills: one man gathers what another man spills!'- Grateful Dead Saint Stephen


Carl, I suspect we all can discern a great deal from who the Cabinet appointees are for Department of Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency via their individual records...a very strong focus on State's rights over Federal oversight.

Here, I am thankful that a Federal judge has rejected the appeal lawsuit filed against the EPA's decision to kill the Woodland Road's construction prior the election. The structure of the lawsuit's funding support via anonymous donations sure did not pass the "smell test' for me.

"Nature actually humbles you. Hunting forces a person to endure, to master themselves, even to truly get to know the wild environment. Actually, along the way, hunting and fishing makes you fall in love with the natural world. This is why hunters so often give back by contributing to conservation." Donald Trump II

Given the initial, post-election report that Sarah Palin was being considered for Dept. of Interior, your speculation, as well as that of Time 's editors that Donald Jr. is helping shape the choice of these designees.
 
I certainly hope they protect the land. Yesterday the news reported that Trump wants to eliminate 75 percent of regulations. Is it true or false. Who knows. I hope all goes well. Time will tell.

Tom
 
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0380133099707641

By way of background, the BWC system is composed of softwater lakes with a very low carbonate:bicarbonate buffering capacity and consequent low carbonate hardness. These aquatic systems don't possess any resilience to acid mine drainage.

This is a bit difficult to read, but I opted to include it because it underscores the wealth of data that documents in the impacts and pathways of mercury release from its existence as an amalgam in copper, nickel, and gold ores in the upper Midwest igneous rock formations.

Dr. Charles Kerfoot has a dual appointment at MTU, conducting research in both biology and mineral science at Michigan Technological University. The upshot of his research on non-ferrous mining activity consequences indicate that the wetland complexes that exist in this area are near-optimal methylation sites, converting inorganic mercury that enters them via runoff and atmospheric fallout to methyl-mercury; the organic form that can be absorbed by fish, fowl, and mammals.

This is his presentation transcript from a Mining Impacts Symposium held here in Marquette several years ago.


Presentation Transcript

A Rare Glimpse Into The Past: Lake Sediments Reveal Long-term Methyl Mercury Records From Mining:
A Rare Glimpse Into The Past: Lake Sediments Reveal Long-term Methyl Mercury Records From Mining W. Charles Kerfoot 1* , Noel R. Urban 2 , Cory P. McDonald 2 , Ron Rossmann 3 , Ramakrishna Wusirika 1 1 Dept. Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931 2 Dept. Civil & Environmental Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931 3 U.S. EPA, Mid-Continent Ecology Division, Large Lakes Research Station, Grosse Ile, MI 48138
Funding And Important Data Sources:
Funding And Important Data Sources NOAA/NSF KITES Project (NSF OCE) U.S. EPA Region V Grant to Baraga Tribal Council Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ); Portage & Torch Lake Joseph Bohr, MDNRE Fish Hg Data Set (2011)
Sources For Atmospheric Hg Discharges (2000 Environment Canada vs 1997 U.S. EPA Report To Congress):
Sources For Atmospheric Hg Discharges (2000 Environment Canada vs 1997 U.S. EPA Report To Congress)
Mercury In Gold Ore Samples: Geographic Comparisons:
Mercury In Gold Ore Samples: Geographic Comparisons
On Site Mercury Releases (atmospheric): EPA Toxic Release Inventory 2001 Region #9 :
On Site Mercury Releases (atmospheric): EPA Toxic Release Inventory 2001 Region #9
Lake Superior Watershed: Precious And Base Metal Mining:
Lake Superior Watershed: Precious And Base Metal Mining
FLUX:
FLUX The amount of mercury (µg) deposited per unit area (m 2 ) per unit time (yr) From atmosphere onto land From water onto lake bottom
Lake Superior Watershed: Cinnabar And Hg-rich Deposits:
Lake Superior Watershed: Cinnabar And Hg-rich Deposits Hemlo Gold Deposit near Marathon:Williams, Golden Giant, David Bell Mines (Michibayashi 1995; Powell and Pattison 1997; Tomkins et al. 2004): Hg 6% in ore samples, 6.7% in concentrates In Some Massive Sulfide Deposits, includes Flambeau Mine, Ladysmith, Ws (Motti et al. 1999): 0.11% Hg in Cu, 1.13% in Ag Huron River, Baraga Co., Mi Cinnabar/Metacinnabar Deposits (Carlson et al. 2007; Olds 2012)
1994 Estimate Of Hg atmospheric Release (kg/yr) by mining operations:
1994 Estimate Of Hg atmospheric Release (kg/yr) by mining operations
Keweenaw Peninsula: Smelter, Mine, Mill Sites:
Keweenaw Peninsula: Smelter, Mine, Mill Sites Stamp Mills
Mercury In Keweenaw Native Copper (ppm):
Mercury In Keweenaw Native Copper (ppm)
Mercury In Keweenaw Native Silver (ppm):
Mercury In Keweenaw Native Silver (ppm)
Keweenaw Waterway Coring Locations:
Keweenaw Waterway Coring Locations
Establishing Chronology: Radioisotope Dating Of Portage Sediment Core:
Establishing Chronology: Radioisotope Dating Of Portage Sediment Core
Portage Lake MeHg Record:
Portage Lake MeHg Record
Industrial Mercury Discharge To Fish:
Industrial Mercury Discharge To Fish
Torch Lake 210Pb Model:
Torch Lake 210 Pb Model Unsupported 210 Pb profile (20m site) CIC-CRS model Modified CRS model
Torch Lake MeHg Record:
Torch Lake MeHg Record
What are regional implications of smelter/tailing discharges to entire watersheds?:
What are regional implications of smelter/tailing discharges to entire watersheds?
Atmospheric & Lake Surface Deposition:
Atmospheric & Lake Surface Deposition
Distribution Of Mining Shafts:
Distribution Of Mining Shafts
Overview of MDEQ Mercury Water Quality Monitoring, Gary Kohlhepp MDEQ Romulus Workshop 2006:
Overview of MDEQ Mercury Water Quality Monitoring, Gary Kohlhepp MDEQ Romulus Workshop 2006 “ The geographic pattern for mercury in lakes/impoundments was opposite that for rivers/streams, with mercury levels generally higher in the Upper Peninsula. ” - Anomalously high, relative to expected atmospheric deposition (Lower Peninsula 2.1X U.P.) “ Mercury… exceeded the Rule 57 Water Quality Value in 35% of Upper Peninsula Lakes versus 8% of Lower Peninsula lakes. ” 2001-2002 Study: 184 lakes; 84 streams/rivers
Foodweb Indicator Points: “Anomalously High” Hg Concentrations in Western U.P. Fish (Joseph Bohr Data, MDNRE 2011):
Foodweb Indicator Points: “ Anomalously High ” Hg Concentrations in Western U.P. Fish (Joseph Bohr Data, MDNRE 2011) 1) counter to expected atmospheric deposition patterns (2.1X higher in L.P. than in U.P.). 2) Hg concentrations higher in W.U.P. than in N.L.P. fish (Northern Pike, Walleye, Bass) 3) Many fish above 0.5 ppm EPA consumption advisory level
“Anomalously High Mercury Concentrations” In Walleye & Northern Pike: W.U.P. vs N.L.P.:
“ Anomalously High Mercury Concentrations ” In Walleye & Northern Pike: W.U.P. vs N.L.P.
THg & MeHg Profiles (ppm, ppb) Show That Mining-impacted (Tailings & Smelter Plumes) Lake Sediments Have Higher Mercury (MDNRE 2011):
THg & MeHg Profiles (ppm, ppb) Show That Mining-impacted (Tailings & Smelter Plumes) Lake Sediments Have Higher Mercury (MDNRE 2011)
Summary:
Summary 1) Mining is a dominant historic source of mercury inputs to the Lake Superior Basin 2. Mercury is in many metal ores (Cu, Ag, Au, Zn), often as a natural amalgam 3. Smelter & Tailing discharges have contaminated many Lake Superior watersheds (U.S. & Canadian sides) 4. The Keweenaw Waterway suggests that methylation of mercury from mining discharges lingers in watersheds with a time lag of at least 20-40 + years. 5. There are “ anomalously high ” Hg values for fish in U.P. lakes. Does this reflect the abundance of wetlands (methylating environments), carry-over mining effects, or an interaction between both?
Mercury In Lake Sediment (Can. Geol. Survey):
Mercury In Lake Sediment (Can. Geol. Survey)
Keweenaw Peninsula Coring Sites:
Keweenaw Peninsula Coring Sites
Anthropogenic Copper Inventories: Spatial Pattern:
Anthropogenic Copper Inventories: Spatial Pattern
Anthropogenic Mercury Inventories: Spatial Pattern:
Anthropogenic Mercury Inventories: Spatial Pattern
Copper/mercury profiles (NSF/NOAA KITES Project) From Deep Water (LSDH) to L’Anse Bay:
Copper/mercury profiles (NSF/NOAA KITES Project) From Deep Water (LSDH) to L ’ Anse Bay
Copper And Mercury Flux Profiles: Keweenaw Waterway (CG: Near Dollar Bay Smelter):
Copper And Mercury Flux Profiles: Keweenaw Waterway (CG: Near Dollar Bay Smelter)
Mercury Concentrations In Ore Samples:
Mercury Concentrations In Ore Samples A) Keweenaw native copper and silver ores B) World (Cu, Au, Ag) ores and Sphalerite (ZnS) C) Solid solution substitution (native metal-natural amalgamation) or for Zn in Sphalerite
Solid Solution Substitution Of Hg For Zn In Sphalerite (Schwartz 1997) :
Solid Solution Substitution Of Hg For Zn In Sphalerite (Schwartz 1997) Exhalative deposits SEDEX VOLCEX


Most of these mercury release sites are stamp sands near processing sites, as well as old mine sites dating back to aboriginal mining efforts.

Doctor Kerfoot also incorporated methyl mercury tissue concentrations from fish samples in the U.P. into another presentation contrasting accumulation pathways in norhtern and southern Michigan. Essentially, the data his group presented underscored that methyl-mercury entering biota via aquatic pathways resulted in higher fish tissue (analyzed as fillets,not whole fish) concentrations in U.P. sampled fish species when compared to similarly analyzed fish samples taken from aquatic systems in southern Michigan near large industrial areas where the principal mercury release pathway was via atmospheric distribution.

Joseph Bohr works for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality within the MDNR. He has the data files for the U.P. mercury concentration studies. Note:If you opt to request these data you will need an inbox file size upgrade since these are large files. He also is charged with oversight of the EPA AOC up here Deer Lake, another major site of mercury contaminated biota where mining related release pathways resulted in major issues.

http://www.mdpi.com/2076-3298/2/4/546/htm

I opted to include this data to underscore that methyl-mercury accumulation in fish tissues is of elevated concern because it accumulates in muscle tissue preferentially rather than fat tissue.
 
I don't know if he will see it or not, but I posted on Eric Trumps facebook page about the BWCA. It said it was being reviewed. Can't hurt. RL I appreciate you posting the information. Now don't take this wrong but I'm thinking you have way too much time on your hands.

Tom
 
Tom, this is is all information from my files. The vast majority of the mercury contamination issues in the U.P. of Michigan are related to past mining sites that continue to release inorganic mercury into lakes, rivers, and streams.

I worked for a couple of non-profits after I left Merck. The last one was directly involved in a Community Level oversight effort of a start-up Nickel sulfide mine, Eagle Mine, north of Marquette. When I first moved here I became very much involved in the Deer Lake AOC, principally because I had a friend who lived on the north side of the water body. Deer Lake has been removed from the EPA's AOC list, but most fish within it still remain on the State's do not consume list, as do the brook trout downstream in the Carp River. We (SWP) sampled the Carp River for three years via a joint grant monitoring low level mercury release from snow pack. What we found was quite startling. Its a beautiful river, particularly the lower third of the watershed, very reminiscent of fishing in the Rocky Mountains from the Marquette Mountain ski hill downstream.

I have been involved for years with Michigan's Fish Consumption Advisory in an effort to give it some "teeth"... Michigan is the only Great Lakes state that includes data on PCB con-geners in its fish consumption advisory, thus a lake trout that is on the State's DNC list is deemed edible when caught in Wisconsin or Illinois waters. Joe Bohr and I taught the Ichthyology labs for our major professor for two years while we were in grad. school together.

I eat very few fish from inland lakes in the U.P.
 
RL, I'll assume you took my comment with a smile. I don't know that much about all the technical aspects only that the ecosystem is very sensitive to environmental changes. Good to see that guys like you have done in depth studies showing what the pollution really does to our waterways. Thanks to everyone that has voiced there opposition to the proposed mining.

Tom
 
Due to its (BWC waters) inherently low carbonate:bicarbonate buffer capacity, at snow melt pH falls precipitously as bound compounds move into solution, altering redox potential; increasing heavy metal solubility for all heavy metals bound in the snow pack. When you add-in dry fallout inputs over the remainder of the year, this series of water bodies is already undergoing significant impacts. Why add to it? It's that simple, as well as that complex...

If you want another example of ill-conceived mine development at northern latitudes that don't "play well" with existing biologic systems, just do a Google search on the Pebble Mine in Alaska. As of Jan.3, 2017 the Pebble Mine is still "alive".
 
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