Research about Grand Portage Reservation

USGS2002

Hydrology and Water Quality of the Grand Portage Reservation, Northeastern Minnesota, 1991-2000

The Grand Portage Reservation is located in northeastern Cook County, Minnesota at the boundary between Minnesota, USA, and Ontario, Canada. Between 1991 and 2000 the U.S. Geological Survey conducted a series of studies, with the cooperation with Grand Portage Band of Chippewa, to describe the water resources of the Grand Portage Reservation. Ground water moves primarily through fractures in the bedrock, probably in three ground-water systems: local, regional, and deep. Lake Superior is thought to be the discharge point for brines in the deep ground-water flow system. The watersheds in the Grand Portage Reservation are small and steep; consequently streams in the Grand Portage Reservation tend to be flashy. Lake stages rise and fall with rainfall. The pH of water in the Reservation is generally alkaline (pH greater than 7.0). The alkalinity of water in the Reservation is low. Concentrations of major ions are much greater in ground water than in spring water and surface water. The ionic composition of water in the Reservation differs depending upon the source of the water. Water from 11 of the 20 wells sampled are a calcium-sodium-chloride type. Water from wells GW-2, GW-7, and GW-11 had much greater specific conductance concentrations of major ions compared to the other wells. Some spring water (SP-1, SP-3, SP-4, SP-6, and SP-8) is calcium-bicarbonate type like surface water, whereas other spring water (SP-5 and SP-7) is similar to the calcium-sodium-chloride type occurring in samples from about one-half the wells. The major chemical constituents in surface water are bicarbonate, calcium, and magnesium. Measured tritium and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) concentrations in water samples from springs and wells were used to determine the recharge age of the sampled water. The recharge ages of two of the wells sampled for tritium are before 1953. The recharge ages of the remaining 10 samples for tritium are probably after 1970. The recharge ages of seven SF6 samples were between 1973 and 1998.

Minnesota↗

USGS2000

Grand Portage Reservation Environmental Monitoring Program

There are seven types of aquatic resources on the Grand Portage Reservation. An ecological monitoring program was proposed for these resources. Some of the resources are pristine, while others have been affected by development. Each type of resource has physical (habitat, sediment, and hydrology), chemical, and biological (fish, invertebrates, and algae) characteristics that are monitored in a consistent manner so that change may be detected. Not all aspects of the physical, chemical, and biotic components are monitored at each resource type. Monitoring is focused on those aspects most susceptible to change. Replication and comparison with pristine components are a significant part of the program so that actual change can be determined from natural temporal and spatial variability.

Minnesota↗

USGS1999

Water-quality data from lakes and streams in the Grand Portage Reservation, Minnesota, 1997-98

The Grand Portage Reservation is located in northeastern Cook County, Minnesota (fig. 1). In 1997 and 1998 the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted a study, in cooperation with the Grand Portage Band of Chippewa, to determine the quality of water in selected inland lakes and streams in the Reservation. The USGS collected and analyzed water from two streams, two wetlands, and four lakes (fig 1). Water samples were collected in the spring and fall of 1997 and 1998. In addition, samples of bottom sediments were collected from two of the four lakes in 1998. The purpose of this report is to present the data collected by the USGS from the study during 1997-98. Water-quality data include temperature, pH, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, alkalinity, and concentrations of major ions, nutrients, and trace metals. Lake sediment data include concentrations of trace metals and selected organic compounds.

Minnesota↗