We don't have enough monitoring equipment to collect data from the
11,842 lakes in Minnesota, so your help is needed!
Volunteers can collect lake and stream information to identify
potential problems and provide vital information about long-term water
quality trends. These findings aid decision-makers and resource managers
in selecting appropriate courses of action.
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Monitoring Programs: |
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Lake Minnetonka Association
(Lake Minnetonka)
Citizen volunteers who live on or near Lake Minnetonka can collect
water quality data and make observations of wildlife, weather events,
or aquatic plants on Lake Minnetonka.
Contact: Dick Osgood, LMA Executive Director, (952) 470-4449
http://www.mnlakes.org/minnetonka/
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Lake Level Minnesota (Statewide)
Volunteers and cooperative organizations can report on the water level
of lakes throughout the state in cooperation with the Minnesota Department
of Natural Resources. This information about the history of lake level
fluctuations helps with problems such as flooding, drought, and lakeshore
erosion.
Contact: DNR Waters, (651) 296-4800
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/waters/ |
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Citizen Lake-Monitoring Program (Statewide)
Volunteers can work with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to
collect water clarity readings from a lake once a week during the
summer.
Contact: Jennifer Klang, MPCA CLMP Coordinator, (651) 282-2618
http://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/clmp.html |
River Monitoring Programs: |
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Hennepin Conservation District River Watch Program (Hennepin County)
The Hennepin Conservation District River Watch Program provides hands-on
environmental education for high school and college students, promotes
river stewardship, and obtains water quality information on streams
in Hennepin County. Student volunteers collect stream organisms and
assess habitat characteristics twice a year using National River Watch
Network methods.
Contact: Tim Reese, HCD Environmental Education Coordinator
(763) 420-2157 email: timreese@hcd.hennepin.mn.us
http://www.hcd.hennepin.mn.us/
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Volunteer
Stream Monitoring Partnership (Twin Cities Metro Area)
Volunteers visit a site twice a year collecting water samples or
stream organisms to determine the water quality. Funded by the Metropolitan
Council, coordinators support monitoring activities ensuring quality
data collection and provide networking between volunteers.
Contact: Mary Gullickson or Kevin Proescholdt, VSMP Coordinators,
(612) 624-9282
http://cgee.hamline.edu/watershed/vsm/
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Citizen Stream Monitoring Program (Statewide)
Volunteers visit an established spot on a nearby stream and measure
transparency, appearance, precipitation, and stream stage.
Contact: Laurie Sovell, MPCA CSMP Coordinator, (800) 657-3864
http://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/streamsrivers.html
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More Information about Volunteer Monitoring
Environmental
Protection Agency: Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring
Volunteer Monitoring
Groups On-Line
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