Down at the Cascade River

The Cascade River flows down towards the north shore on Lake Superior before emptying into the big lake.. The Cascade River is a 17.1-mile-long river in northeastern Minnesota, United States. Running through Cook County, it empties into Lake Superior between Grand Marais and Lutsen. Its lower courses flow through Cascade River State Park. The river was named for a number of waterfalls near its mouth. Wikipedia What gives the water a root beer or brown tea-like color are tannins. Tannins are complex chemical substances derived from phenolic acids (sometimes called tannic acid). They are classified as phenolic compounds, which are found in many species of plants, from all climates and all parts of the globe. They are large molecules that bind readily with proteins, cellulose, starches, and minerals. These resulting substances are insoluble and resistant to decomposition. Tannins occur in many species of coniferous trees as well as a number of flowering plant families. These tannins can leach out of the plants. The water in the soil becomes rich with tannins and seeps into the ground water or drains into lakes and streams. These waters become brown in color and look like tea. U. S. Forest Service.