Since 2011, Deanna Erickson has been the director with the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve. "Freshwater estuaries in the Great Lakes are really the epicenter of productivity, the epicenter of life in the Great Lakes," says Erickson. "It is a really productive place... it really is important to the health and well-being of Lake Superior."
One of the objectives of the reserve is to monitor water quality. Underwater computers are taking samples and conducting quality assessments every fifteen minutes. "There's data being collected right now," says Erickson. "We can look at the temperature, the amount of salts and minerals in the water." Ph and algae levels can also be tracked through this method.
Outreach and partnership are large parts of Erickson's operations as well. The Reserve is in close connection with programs that work with area school students as well as in adult education opportunities. The future looks to be supported by the community as well as in a financial sense. Recent funding is helping to "amplify conservation and restoration in our communities."
For those interested in learning more, you can visit the Lake Superior National Estuarine Reserve website. For a more up-close experience, the Lake Superior Estuarium is open to visitors on select Fridays and Saturdays. Official hours can be found on the Estuarium website.
You can hear Community Connection every Tuesday and Thursday at 8am on Northland Morning. This edition of Community Connection is made possible in part by Lakewalk Surgery Center.
