The International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Forum took place March 10-11, 2021 and, for the very first time, was offered virtually. There were 180 people in attendance for the day and a half symposium and, as is always the case, the speakers did not disappoint. We were honored to have the Forum officially opened…
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The native species of cattails in Canada is Typha latifolia. Although the native species can form large monocultures, it is limited to depths of less than 25 cm. By comparison, the exotic, Typha angustifolia, or the hybrid, Typha glauca, can tolerate depths of up to 1.5 m. T. angustifolia spread from the eastern seaboard of…
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The water levels on Rainy Lake and the Namakan Chain of Lakes have been controlled by dams for more than 100 years and, since 1949, according to formal rules established jointly by Canada and the U.S. through the International Joint Commission (IJC). While the dam and the “rule curves” are very familiar to people in…
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For more than thirty years, Fisheries Managers and Biologists from Ontario and Minnesota have worked together to manage the fisheries within the shared waters along the International border, with the help of the joint Boundary Waters Fisheries Atlas. Working under the direction of the Ontario-Minnesota Fisheries Committee (representing the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and…
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On November 22 and 23, 2017, The Territorial Planning Unit of Grand Council Treaty #3 hosted Gaanawendagoziwinaan [Planning for 7 Generations: A Conference on Climate and Water] at Seven Generations Education Institute in Kenora, ON. Gaanawendagoziwinaan was attended by many, (70 participants on day 1, over 90 on day 2) representing 20 Treaty #3 First…
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Cook County hosted a morning of fishing for kids in June 2017 at Mink Lake, as part of the annual Take A Kid Fishing Weekend by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR). In Cook County, it is a collaborative effort with the United States Forest Service (USFS), MNDNR, Cook County Soil and Water Conservation…
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Over the past several years, scientists from Minnesota and Ontario have been collecting sediment cores from the bottom of Lake of the Woods to help understand how phosphorus loadings have changed over time and why. Cores taken from strategic locations in the lake are dated using radioisotopes and the amount of phosphorus in each depth increment is…
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It never used to be the norm to pull the drain plug on boats and drain the water and any critters that may be present – everyone just kept them in. But, through education and awareness, this practice has changed. In 2017, Lake of the Woods (LOW) Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) staff reported…
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The local governments within the Minnesota portion of the Lake of the Woods Watershed are collaborating together on a watershed-based plan known as the One Watershed, One Plan. Those governments include Lake of the Woods County, Lake of the Woods Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), Warroad River Watershed District, Roseau County and Roseau SWCD….
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For more than two decades, Koochiching and St. Louis Counties worked separately in trying to find a solution to the faulty septic systems along the rocky shores of border waters. Oftentimes, the two northern Minnesota counties competed for money from the same funding agencies. Residents and businesses became frustrated as proposed projects either failed to…
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