Proceedings of Previous Forums

Proceedings Reports of the annual International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Forum are available from 2006 onward, here: Forum Proceedings

September 21, 2023

2024 Watershed Forum Announcement and Call for Abstracts

Announcement and Call for Abstracts

2024 International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Forum - Save the date and call for abstracts

Location: Minnesota North College - Rainy River campus, International Falls, MN.

Date: March 6–7, 2024

Overview: Professional symposium for research and resource managers, policy makers and the public interested in the Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed

Abstract Deadline: December 15, 2023. Please submit the following to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Presenter Information: Name, Research Organization or Agency, Mailing Address, Telephone, Email, Brief Bio.
Submittal Information: Author(s), Presentation or Poster, Title, Abstract, Location of study (i.e., lake name, river name, or GPS coordinate etc.)

Algae Bloom 2023 is on its way

After a hot June but cool and sometimes smoky July, the algae bloom on Lake of the Woods started to develop in late July and early August as usual. Blooms began in the southern Big Traverse Bay and in the Morson-Sabaskong area to the south-east. By late August, the bloom covered 34% of the lake and has progressed northward through middle channel to Oak Point. Satellite-derrived measures of chlorophyll-a (a pigment in the algae) ranged above 40 µg/L (red in the satellite image) indicating severe bloom formation in a few locations (anything above 10 µg/L is considered a bloom).

Algal blooms in Lake of the Woods typically peak in the late fall, and progress into the north-central area of the lake. Thus, more extensive blooms are expected to come later, expanding in extent and severity into the fall. Last year, peak severity occurred on October 13, 2022. We’ll have a complete report on the annual bloom conditions later in the fall, once the satellite tracking is complete for the season.

IJC Watershed Board Public Meetings Report

The IJC’s International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board held its annual meetings with the public in Baudette, Minnesota on August 16 and Kenora, Ontario on August 17.

The IJC watershed board presented an update on its activities during the past year and key priorities for the coming year. The board's Aquatic Ecosystem Health Committee is leading several projects this year, including: focus on international water quality objectives and core monitoring design, studies of erosion at the south shore of Lake of the Woods, and reporting of exceedances of water quality criteria.

The board hosted guest updates from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Environment and Climate Change Canada on these agencies’ work to address the phosphorus loading that feeds the excessive algae blooms on Lake of the Woods.