The Decline of Manoomin on Spur Lake due to Rising Water Levels
The purpose of this study is to quantify the water inputs and outputs of Spur lake to understand the driving forces of water level change that may be contributing to the decline of Manoomin. Manoomin is the Ojibwe word for wild rice and provides physical, spiritual, and cultural sustenance as a sacred food and relative for Anishinaabe, Dakota, and other Indigenous peoples across the Great Lakes region of North America. In addition to the cultural importance of Manoomin, it is also important to the Great Lakes ecosystem. Manoomin needs shallow waters in order to thrive, usually 1- 3 feet of water above sediment. Although Manoomin needs some annual variability in water levels, if water rises too fast it can uproot the plant and cause population decline. Tribal partners have observed significant changes in water levels on Spur lake, which is a 113 acre lake with a maximum depth of three feet. The lake has an outlet stream, Twin Lakes Creek, that flows southward and joins the Pelican River. It is important to calculate the water budget in order to determine the driving forces of this water level change. To do this, the precipitation, evaporation, surface runoff, and groundwater flow data is needed. Data that has been previously collected on Spur Lake will be used to make observations on change in precipitation and how that has affected the water levels in Spur Lake throughout the years, the results will be compared with past observations of tribal partners to develop an understanding of the causes of Spur Lake water level increase.