Fall Newsletter, November 2017

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1 Fall Newsletter, November 2017 President s Message The Conservancy has had a busy Fall. Two small undeveloped islands were generously donated for conservation Olson Island just northeast of Noden Island was donated by Helen Heller and American Narrows Island just west of Red Pine Island on the US/Canadian border was donated by Elizabeth Hyatt. These properties will remain undisturbed into the future, which will support the vibrant ecology and clean water quality of Rainy Lake for current and future generations. We have a cadre of monitors to visit each of the islands already conserved, but could use more of you for this task. Please let me know if you are interested. Our monitor for Haymarsh Bay Island found a new eagle s nest and more plant species previously not identified! We continue to be involved with issues relating to the lake s ecology and species as articles in this newsletter relate. We are always interested in participating in and supporting projects that are looking to improve habitat, protect species or improve water quality. Ideas are welcome. I hope everyone will enjoy a happy holiday season and the winter months ahead. Please think of Rainy Lake Conservancy in your year-end giving your gifts will go a long way to give us the ability to work on the conservation and science projects that help accomplish our mission. Thank you in advance for all of your support. Carolyn Wallis RLC supports wolf and beaver research in the watershed For the past few years, Thomas Gable and Steve Windels, Voyageurs National Park, have been working on a research project to study everything from the weekly summer diet of gray wolves in Northwestern Minnesota to where and how wolves kill beaver and the kill and predation rates of these species. Their research is aimed at getting a better understanding of how wolf predation affects beaver populations under a variety of conditions. Based on the number of beavers killed, they estimated the Ash River Pack removed beavers (kill rate of

2 beavers/wolf/day), which was 43 48% of the beaver population in their home range during the ice-free season. Even with this substantial level of predation in 2015, the beaver population in the Ash River Pack home range increased by an estimated 43% in 2016, which suggested dispersal from more densely populated adjacent areas likely compensated for the effects of wolf predation. Steve and Tom have presented the first direct estimate of wolf kill and predation rates on beavers. In addition, to the best of their knowledge, they are the first to examine wolf diet via scat analysis at weekly intervals, enabling them to provide a detailed description of diet plasticity of a particular wolf pack, as well as the rapidity with which wolves can respond to new available food sources. Feeling that more study is required, Tom has enrolled at the University of Minnesota as a PH D student where he will continue his wolf/beaver research. VNP biologists Tom Gable (left) and Austin Homkes (right) pose with a gray wolf they captured as part of ongoing studies of wolf predation in the Greater VNP Ecosystem. RLC made a modest donation to support this research which will add significantly to our understanding of how both wolves and beaver continue to survive in the watershed and may provide the basis for future research and decision making. Click on the following links to read more about this research project.

3 Annual General Meeting Serves General Public The business portion of this year s AGM was only ten minutes long, which left ample time for attendees to learn about canoe tripping. Pam Cain, General Manager of the Path of the Paddle Association, shared photos and stories about a waterway between Thunder Bay and Manitoba (through Dryden) marketed as part of the Trans Canada Trail. Cain is working to make this canoe route a viable tourist product with developmental focus on trial clearing, marketing, and information sharing. Cain also presented information about the water route from Turtle River to Lake of the Woods (including Rainy River) which branches off the Trans Canada Trail. In 2016, Path of the Paddle Trail Ambassadors recorded their experiences of this major fur trade route. Canadian Heritage Rivers and the Heart of the Continent will market this route as a tourist attraction. Following Cain s presentation, a demonstration and interactive session took place related to canoe tripping and the handling of canoes. Attendees ventured outside to meet at the Rendez-Vous docks where they tried paddle strokes, and learned how to carry and tie down a canoe. Participants also handled different types of canoes including the Souris River which is made in Atikokan. If you are interested in maps and information about local canoe routes, feel free to contact Joanna Loney at or jloney@live.ca. If you are interested in Path of the Paddle routes, visit You don t have to be a member to attend the annual meeting, and there are always interesting presentations. Please bring friends and family to next year s AGM, taking place next August. Joanna Loney Rule Curve International Joint Commission Update IJC Update for the Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed The IJC Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board recently released its annual report on water quality and aquatic ecosystem health, covering the period of The primary focus is on inputs of the nutrient phosphorus to the Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River as a priority issue of concern. Other indicators of aquatic ecosystem health are covered for many of the major boundary water lakes in the watershed. Highlights include:

4 Nutrients and algae are a concern for Lake of the Woods, with total phosphorus concentrations exceeding Minnesota and Ontario criteria. Widespread blooms of blue green algae continue to occur. Tributaries to the Rainy River frequently exceed the IJC Alert Level for phosphorus. Fish populations are generally in a good state, although there are concerns in some areas of over fishing. Invasive species are a significant concern, with high potential for new introductions and spread of existing invaders. Spiny water flea and rusty crayfish have spread throughout most of the boundary waters. Zebra mussels first discovered in 2013 in a few headwaters lakes in the watershed and have spread downstream into the Big Fork River A coordinated monitoring program between Canada and the USA is needed to support a systematic approach to long term monitoring, assessment and adaptive management The full report is available at the Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board website Paul Anderson Water Quality Monitors WANTED As part of the International Watershed Coordination Program for the Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed, additional water quality monitors are being recruited to take part in the two long-standing citizen water quality monitoring programs in Ontario and Minnesota. If RLC members are not already involved in the Lake Partner Program in Ontario or the Citizen Stream/Lake Monitoring Program in Minnesota and wish to participate contact: Ontario Minnesota The central part of Rainy Lake is quite well covered, but additional volunteers are always welcome. Much of the further reaches (Far North Arm, East End, and Red Gut) are not covered currently as well as surrounding lakes. Great databases have been building for years and your assistance is greatly appreciated. Contact Paul Anderson (info at rainylakeconservancy.org) if you need further information.

5 Olson Island Donated On September 1 st, Helen Heller completed the donation of her 3.8-acre island to American Friends of Canadian Land Trusts (with eventual transfer to RLC). With the exception of an old abandoned cabin, the island has been undeveloped up to the present time. Like all of us who return to Rainy every year, Helen loves the lake. She and her late husband Robert spent over 30 happy summers at their cabin on nearby Noden Island. Unfortunately, due to poor health, Helen is now unable to return to the lake, but through this donation she has realized her dream of preserving her island s beautiful shorelines and magnificent pine trees for the enjoyment of present and future generations. RLC is grateful to Helen for her generous donation. Remembering: Tim Heinle, long time member of the Rainy Lake Conservancy, passed away on September 17, Rainy Lake became a big part of Tim s life from the day he first attended Camp Koochiching as a 12-year-old boy back in Although he was accustomed to life in the city of Cincinnati, it s reported that he took to the wilderness immediately. Over the course of his life, he made many canoe trips in the watershed and as far north as Hudson Bay. He shared his love of the outdoors and of the natural environment with generations of campers, his family and his friends. Always eager to do what he could to preserve the beauty and natural values of the watershed, Tim joined the Rainy Lake Conservancy shortly after it was formed and was a loyal member until his death in September. He also served as treasurer of the Ernest Oberholtzer Foundation.

6 Henriette Verhoef: Some of you may remember Henri as a surveyor, others as a naturalist and others as a friend. Henri was all of these to the Rainy Lake Conservancy. We first got to know her in her professional capacity when she surveyed Echo Island, the site of the first Conservation Easement on Rainy Lake. As a naturalist, she was very interested in preserving wildlife habitat and identifying rare species and thus supported RLC s mission to accomplish these goals. She was also an executive member of the Rainy River Valley Field Naturalists and worked in partnership with RLC to establish the Cranberry Peatlands Interpretive Trail. As a friend, Henri could always be called on to give advice on anything related to surveying (especially important in our Conservation Easement projects). After a struggle with brain cancer, Henri passed away on Tuesday, October 10 th, at the age of 51. We will miss her. Membership in the Rainy Lake Conservancy If you are not currently a member of the Conservancy or forgot to renew this year, now is the time to join RLC or renew your membership! Please consider renewing and encourage your friends who might be interested in the Conservancy to go to our website and become a member. This can be done on our website: Click on Join/Donate and go from there. Annual membership is $40 CDN for a family and $30 for a single membership. Donations above and beyond membership dues are very welcome! Your dues and donations support our mission to preserve the ecology, culture and historic features of our watershed. Donations to RLC are tax deductible for Canadians. If you are a US member and would like to make a tax-deductible donation to support the work of the Rainy Lake Conservancy (much appreciated) you can do so by mailing a check to the Minnesota Land 2356 University Ave. N., Suite 240 St. Paul, MN with a notation that it should be directed to the Rainy Lake Fund. The Mission of the Rainy Lake Conservancy is to work with property owners, governments, and the local communities to preserve and protect the natural beauty, historic features, ecological and recreational values for present and future generations within but not restricted to Rainy Lake. A pdf of this Newsletter can be viewed and downloaded at the RLC website, click on Newsletters, Fall 2017.