02/10/12

Welcome!

Here is a report on the status of the great blue herons on Peltier Island in Peltier Lake. A PDF version is here.

Great Blue Heron Status, Peltier Lake Island, Feb 2012
From Wayne LeBlanc

The great blue herons on Peltier Island had a FANTASTIC 2011 summer! Recovery is accelerating. Thanks go to the city of Lino Lakes, their Environmental Board, Anoka County Parks and volunteers for their support of the great blue herons. Protections and support of the herons need to continue to try to reach previous numbers.

Because of no leaves, exact nest counts can be made in winter. In 2011, the herons made 125 total nests and more than doubled the number of nests from 2010. In 2008, 2009, 2010 there were 58, 63, and 47 nests. On Jan 6, 2012, there were 125 total nests (121 full nests and 4 small nests). That’s an increase of 80 nests or 170%. That’s just terrific! It might be that young herons from 2006 and on are maturing, coming back to the colony and nesting. Herons mature in their third spring. In 1996, the nest count was over 1,000, so there is a long way yet to reach original numbers. The herons moved into 36 new trees not occupied in 2010. The plan is to install new flashing in 15 of those trees with new nests to protect the herons from land predators. The other 20 new nest trees already have flashing.

In June 2011, the estimated chick count was 70. But chick counts are difficult because foliage obscures the nests. Some years had storms and again, foliage and timing of the chick count can make for variable numbers. Years 2009 and 2010 may have been reduced due to weather or predators, it is difficult to say. In 2011, evidence shows great egrets returned for the first time in years which is more good news.

Some people involved in helping the great blue herons are pictured: Marty Asleson (kneeling), Andy Von Duyke and his two daughters Anna and Ellie, Wayne LeBlanc, Joel Kilgore, Gary Averbeck and Dave Kilgore. Others, not pictured, include Barbara Bor, Glen Fuchs, Jeff Perry, Tim Sevcik, Ron Marier and Eaglebrook Church. Support includes flashing trees, installing signs, maintaining no-wake zone buoys and assembling stick piles for use as nesting material.

From 2000 to 2010, the most nests seen in a tree were 5. This last summer, 2011, one tree had 10 nests in it! Others had 9. This is an interesting development in higher density nesting. Pictured at left are 2 trees with 9 nests each.
On August 1, 2, and 3 of 2011, Tigress Productions associated with the National Geographic and Wild Case Files program filmed people and places and actions involving the great blue herons. This was an activity intense 3 day venture. The program will air later.

On Sunday, May 22, 2011, a tornado swept through Minneapolis at North Mississippi Park and destroyed all the great blue heron nests on an island. Estimates state about 180 birds were killed. Nine chicks were rescued and bought to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. My son, Kyle, happened to be working there and actually fed those great blue heron chicks. Perhaps some of those displaced birds will find a home at Peltier Island. The picture below, from the Star and Tribune, shows a great blue heron chick from that colony just after release.

Let hope the great increasing trend continues!

Further resources are at:
www.PeltierLake.Org
Facebook: Peltier Lake Heron Colony
mail@peltierlake.org
 

"Bad" Watershed bill (Click the "Bad Watershed Bill" button)

In my opinion, a proposed bill in 2010 to change wathersheds would ruin our ability to protect and improve our water resources. Please tell Sen. Ray Vandeveer (sen.ray.vandeveer@senate.mn, 651-296-4351) and Rep. Bob Dettmer (rep.bob.dettmer@house.mn, 651-296-4124) that SF756 and HF880 from 2010 are a bad idea. For more information, click the "Bad Watershed Bill" button above or send an e-mail to Mail@PeltierLake.Org. More information is below. This picture shows our watersheds need help!

To Ruin Our Watershed Districts?

Proposed legislation in 2010 could cripple our watershed districts and our ability to protect and improve our water resources. Water is unaware of political city or county boundaries. The purpose of a watershed district is to cross those boundaries and find solutions that work even when the problem is in one place and the solution in another. But legislation proposed by Sen. Ray Vandeveer and Rep. Bob Dettmer would impose artificial political boundaries. Essentially, the legislation would move budget decisions from the watershed board (people dedicated to analyzing the whole problem) to the (usually) multiple counties and their respective county commissioners (usually dozens of people who have special interests in their own counties).

The Red Lake Watershed District, for instance, has 10 counties! All respective county commissioners would have to be brought up-to-speed on all watershed issues and all commissioners would have to somehow magically switch hats and analyze an entire watershed instead of just their county (a highly unlikely proposition). Imagine the gridlock with this added bureaucracy! What works better to solve problems: 5 knowledgeable people familiar with the issues or 50 people with little knowledge of the issues and conflicting interests of their own? The proposed legislation is exactly contrary to the purpose of a watershed district. In my opinion, if SF756 and HF 880 pass, the state may as well abolish watershed districts and forget trying to improve our water resources. (I conclude this from the perspective of a common citizen wanting improved water quality in our state.)

The MnDNR says that about 40% of waters assessed fall short of at least one water quality standard. Our water resources are in trouble. Look at the picture of Peltier Lake with its scummy smelly algae, a common sight in the summer. It is identified by the state as an “impaired water,” as are many others. It needs help that only the Rice Creek Watershed District can give it. Our watershed districts with their no-nonsense, scientifically (not politically) based  solutions are our only hope to protect and improve our neglected water resources.

The mandate of the people of Minnesota is clear with the passing of the Clean Water, Wildlife, Cultural Heritage, and Natural Areas amendment. The people want more resources devoted to preserving our environment without cutting existing programs.

Please tell Sen. Ray Vandeveer (sen.ray.vandeveer@senate.mn, 651-296-4351) and Rep. Bob Dettmer (rep.bob.dettmer@house.mn, 651-296-4124) that SF756 and HF880 from 2010 are a bad idea. For more information, visit www.PeltierLake.Org or send an e-mail to Mail@PeltierLake.Org.

Troubled Waters at Peltier Lake

Wikipedia describes the former pristine condition of the watershed before houses, farms, and roads. It certainly isn't that way anymore!

"According to the Minnesota Historical Society, Rice Creek was named for Henry Mower Rice, one of the first pair of U.S. Senators sent to represent Minnesota upon its statehood, who acquired extensive lands near the lower course of the creek in 1849. Early surveys conducted by Joseph Nicollet record the name of Rice Creek as "Ottonwey River" or Atoonowe-ziibi in the Ojibwe language meaning "River for making Canoes." However, its Ojibwe language name has also been recorded as "Manominikan Sibi" or Manoominikaan-ziibi, meaning "river full of wild rice," which is known to have grown plentifully in the lakes of the watershed. Nicollet described the creek as: "At 2:45, as we left the islands behind, a rivulet about thirty feet wide entered the river from the left. Its shores are adorned with beautiful white lilies. Chagobay told me that it winds back to the vicinity of the Falls of the St. Croix River, being separated from the latter by only a short portage. Its course links several alkes, while irrigating a land abundant with wild rice where the Sioux gather their yearly provisions. The Sioux call it in their language Wild Rice River, and the Chippewa Manominikan Sibi, which means river where one reaps wild rice. "Manomin" (wild rice) was also the basis for the naming of the former Manomin County, which later was incorporated into Anoka County and ultimately became, in part, the city of Fridley, where the creek joins the Mississippi River."

"Archaeological evidence exists that suggests ancestors of the Sioux hunted and fished in the vicinity of Bald Eagle Lake (approximately present-day White Bear Township) in the Rice Creek watershed, and had a summer village in the present-day city of Centerville as early as 2000 B.C."

For more information, click the "Troubled Waters" button.

This site provides information on Peltier Lake, the Great Blue Herons by Peltier Lake, the Chain of Lakes in Lino Lakes, and other environmental information.

Peltier Lake is located in Anoka county in the cities of Lino Lakes and Centerville, Minnesota, about 15 miles north of Saint Paul.

This site is maintained by Wayne LeBlanc. He does volunteer lake sampling for the Rice Creek Watershed District, MPCA, and the Sentinel Lakes Program. He monitors streams with the Stream Health Evaluation Project, has nearly 30 years of experience with lake issues, and helps monitor the Great Blue Herons. He serves on the Rice Creek Watershed District Advisory Committee. He has completed the Minnesota Master Naturalist Volunteer program.

If there are any questions, send email to Mail@PeltierLake.Org.