Volunteers needed to monitor lakes

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is seeking volunteers for its Citizen Stream and Citizen Lake Monitoring programs.

Monitoring the 105,000 miles of rivers and more than 12,000 lakes is a massive undertaking.

Volunteers in the Citizen Stream and Citizen Lake Monitoring programs play a critical role in collecting long-term water quality data.

The MPCA uses the information collected by these volunteers to track water quality trends and make decisions on watershed protection and restoration. Volunteer-collected data is the only information that the MPCA and its partners have for some rivers and lakes in the state.

Minnesotans who regularly visit or live on a lake or river are encouraged to join the MPCA’s citizen monitoring programs.

The MPCA provides equipment and training.

In Douglas County, volunteers are needed for Lake Carlos, Indian Lake and Long Lake.

They’re also particularly needed in the following counties: Aitkin, Anoka, Becker, Beltrami, Big Stone, Cass, Chippewa, Clay, Clearwater, Cook, Crow Wing, Dakota, Grant, Hennepin, Hubbard, Itasca, Kandiyohi, Koochiching, Lincoln, Lyon, Mahnomen, Meeker, Morrison, Otter Tail, Ramsey, Redwood, Renville, St. Louis, Stearns, Traverse, Wabasha, Wadena, Wilkin, Winona, Wright and Yellow Medicine.

More information about the volunteer monitoring programs, along with lists of specific lakes and rivers that need volunteers, is available on the MPCA’s website at www.pca.state.mn.us/cmp or by calling 1-800-657-3864.

Tags: local news, secchi disk, news, volunteers, lakes, mpca