After the Blowdown ― A Resource Assessment of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, 1999-2003

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) is an ecological and recreational treasure situated within the Superior National Forest in northern Minnesota, USA. It contains some of the last unspoiled remnants of the great North Woods of the Lake Superior region. A major storm hit the BWCAW on July 4, 1999. Known as the “Boundary Waters- Canadian Derecho,” this rare type of storm lasted for more than 22 hours, traveled more than 1,300 miles, and produced wind speeds averaging almost 60 mph. Following the devastation of the windstorm, the Forest Inventory and Analysis unit of the Northern Research Station collaborated with the Eastern Region of the USDA Forest Service and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to sample this landscape and assess the effects of this catastrophic event.