2021 Brule Coldwater Legacy Project Report

This project was a continuation of the “Assessing Threats to Coldwater Habitat in Wisconsin’s Bois Brule River” study (Eliot, et.al. 2022). The key objectives of the 2021 Coldwater Legacy Project were to continue efforts started in 2019, including: temperature monitoring and connecting undergraduate students to stakeholders through local research; convening a team of experts to develop the next steps for 2019 Bois Brule River Sediment Depth Survey (Eliot, et.al. 2021); and to archive and analyze historical temperature data from the Cedar Island Conservancy Ltd fish hatchery. To better link the temperature monitoring and stakeholder/undergraduate efforts conducted between 2019 and 2021, data and results from those objectives were included in the above-mentioned Eliot, et.al., 2022 report. Thirty-four stakeholder recommendations for the Bois Brule River were also included in the 2022 report. Results from the Cedar Island Conservancy Ltd fish hatchery data, land cover analyses, and habitat assessment are reported below. The land cover analyses, and habitat assessments were outcomes of the stakeholder consultation conducted in 2022

Assessing Threats to Coldwater Habitat in Wisconsin's Bois Brule River

The Bois Brule River (Brule) is a cold-water river in Douglas County, Wisconsin. The Brule supports a premier trout fishery in the region, which attracts anglers from across the state, nation, and around the world. Two local non-profit organizations - Brule River Sportsmen’s Club and Brule River Preservation, Inc. - have 800 members nationwide. The Brule flows through the 47,000-acre Brule River State Forest (BRSF) boundary. The BRSF is administered by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) and is the fourth-largest state park/forest in Wisconsin. The BRSF manages ten designated canoe landings, two campgrounds and eighteen angler parking lots along the Brule and estimates there are 120,000 visitors every year. The WDNR classifies the Brule River as a “Class 1” trout stream, which is defined as “high-quality trout waters that have sufficient natural reproduction to sustain populations of wild trout, at or near carry capacity” and, therefore, no stocking is required (Web https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Fishing/trout/streamclassification.html April 19, 2021). Despite the Brule’s high-quality ecosystem and natural trout reproduction, stakeholders have concerns about potential risks to habitat associated with sediment deposits and climate changes

2019 Bois Brule River Sediment Depth Survey

The Bois Brule River (Brule) is a well-known and well-loved river located in Douglas County, Wisconsin. A portion of the roughly 200 mi² Brule watershed extends into Bayfield County to the east. The Brule is approximately 46 -miles long from the East and West Fork confluence to Lake Superior. It flows through the Brule River State Forest and private lands along its length. The Brule River Sportsmen’s Club notes that “the river itself has 2 distinct personalities;” the upper Brule which runs through coniferous bog and is fed by numerous springs, and the lower river near Co-op Park, where it begins its 328 feet fall over 18 miles to Lake Superior. The upper Brule drops 108 feet over 28 miles from its confluence to Co-op Park (Site ID 1-187).Four Cedars Environmental Fund of the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundatio

EXPLORING OPTIONS FOR REAL-TIME WATER QUALITY MONITORING WITHIN GREAT LAKES PORTS

This technical report presents findings from the exploration of available environmental monitoring sensors, the piloting experience of long-term field deployment of the Proteus multiparameter sonde developed by Proteus Instruments, and the development of an accessible platform for viewing real-time data in support of uptake avoidance best management practices as defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2013 Vessel General Permit. Project staff conducted a literature review and investigation of commercially available sensors and selected an instrument that consists of a multiparameter sonde—able to measure turbidity, chlorophyll-a, phycocyanin, and total coliform bacteria—, telemetry system, and solar panel. Long-term deployment of the Proteus began in April 2022 and ended in October 2022 at the Montreal Pier Testing Facility located on the Duluth-Superior Harbor in Superior, Wisconsin, USA. Data collected from the multiparameter sonde was transmitted and stored on Outpost.com and real-time data was made publicly available using Web AppBuilder for ArcGIS. This piloting experience has shown promise to provide real-time data in support of uptake avoidance practices

Mental Health During Late Pregnancy and Postpartum in Mothers With and Without Type 1 Diabetes: The ENDIA Study

OBJECTIVE Pregnancy and type 1 diabetes are each associated with increased anxiety and depression, but the combined impact on well-being is unresolved. We compared the mental health of women with and without type 1 diabetes during pregnancy and postpartum and examined the relationship between mental health and glycemic control. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Participants were women enrolled from 2016 to 2020 in the Environmental Determinants of Islet Autoimmunity (ENDIA) study, a pregnancy to birth prospective cohort following children with a first-degree relative with type 1 diabetes. Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) were completed during the third trimester (T3) (median [interquartile range] 34 [32, 36] weeks) and postpartum (14 [13, 16] weeks) by 737 women (800 pregnancies) with (n = 518) and without (n = 282) type 1 diabetes. RESULTS EPDS and PSS scores did not differ between women with and without type 1 diabetes during T3 and postpartum. EPDS scores were marginally higher in T3: predicted mean (95% CI) 5.7 (5.4, 6.1) than postpartum: 5.3 (5.0, 5.6), independent of type 1 diabetes status (P = 0.01). HbA1c levels in type 1 diabetes were 6.3% [5.8, 6.9%] in T3 and did not correlate with EPDS or PSS scores. Reported use of psychotropic medications was similar in women with (n = 44 of 518 [8%]) and without type 1 diabetes (n = 17 of 282 [6%]), as was their amount of physical activity. CONCLUSIONS Overall, mental health in late pregnancy and postpartum did not differ between women with and without type 1 diabetes, and mental health scores were not correlated with glycemic control. </jats:sec