|
Brainerd,
Minn. ―
Monitoring crews from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) are
beginning the eighth year of a ten-year effort to assess the condition of
rivers, streams, and lakes in Minnesota.
This work is being funded by the Clean Water Fund from the
constitutional amendment passed by voters in 2008.
The
majority of the monitoring activities will focus on 11 of Minnesota’s 81 major
watersheds. Each watershed is comprised of a network of interconnected streams,
lakes, and wetlands.
This summer, monitoring teams will work in the Vermilion
River, Cloquet River, Mississippi River-Grand Rapids, Roseau River, Lac Qui
Parle River and Minnesota River Headwaters watersheds, and five small
watersheds bordering the Mississippi River and Iowa in southeast Minnesota. The
monitoring units will also work with Canadian researchers to conduct a survey
of the Red River of the North mainstem, from its source at the confluence of
the Bois de Sioux and Otter Tail Rivers in western Minnesota to its confluence
with Lake Winnipeg in Canada.
The
monitoring is designed to measure and evaluate the condition of rivers and
streams by studying the biology including fish, aquatic invertebrates, and
plant life as well as habitat, flow, and water chemistry. Examples of aquatic invertebrates include
insect larvae, crayfish, snails, small clams, worms, and leeches. Stream water chemistry is also monitored by MPCA
and local partners to provide information about the quality of the water in
which these fish and invertebrates live and the recreational suitability of the
water.
Lake
monitoring crews will sample the larger lakes in the same watersheds. The MPCA and local partners are committed to
monitoring all lakes greater than 500 acres in size, and as many lakes over 100
acres as possible. The lake monitoring teams will focus on water clarity,
nutrient concentrations and other water chemistry parameters to assess lakes
for their ability to support recreational uses.
In
addition to the watershed work, the monitoring crews will conduct a biological
and habitat survey of 150 randomly-selected rivers and streams across Minnesota.
This survey is part of a national survey of rivers and streams. The data
collected from Minnesota will contribute to the national effort and at the same
time provide critical information to help track long term changes in the
condition of rivers and streams within Minnesota.
To
see monitoring teams in action, you can watch short videos on fish sampling and invertebrate sampling on the MPCA’s biological monitoring web page.
Other
MPCA monitoring teams, working with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and
local water resource managers, will continue to track flow, pollutant loads,
and water quality trends on all the state’s largest rivers, and on major tributary
rivers at the outlets of most major watersheds in Minnesota.
Wetland
monitoring crews will sample approximately 20 wetlands in support of watershed
management across Minnesota.
The
MPCA relies on a large contingent of volunteers and local partners to collect
water quality data on lakes and streams. Several groups have received funds
through Surface Water Assessment Grants to collect water quality data in 2015
in these watersheds.
There
are certain expectations for what the biology and water chemistry should look
like at a given sampling location. If
actual samples do not meet those expectations, the sampling location could be
considered impaired. If that happens,
the MPCA would look more closely at what could be causing impairments and find
ways to correct the problems.
For
more information about these monitoring program activities, visit the MPCA’s water quality condition monitoring web
page.
Broadcast version:
Monitoring
crews from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and its local partners are
beginning the eighth year of a ten-year effort to assess the condition of
rivers, streams, and lakes in Minnesota.
This work is being funded by the Clean Water Fund from the
constitutional amendment passed by voters in 2008.
The
majority of the monitoring activities will focus on specific watersheds. This
summer, the M-P-C-A will work in the Vermilion River, Cloquet River,
Mississippi River-Grand Rapids, Roseau River, Lac Qui Parle River, Minnesota
River Headwaters and five small watersheds bordering the Mississippi River and
Iowa in southeast Minnesota.
More information on this monitoring
program can be found on the M-P-C-A’s Web site at www.pca.state.mn.us.
| 
