Assist the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Join the Volunteer Water Monitoring Program
Tuesday, April 9, 2024 at 9:58AM
As spring arrives in Minnesota, it’s time for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to kick off its popular program that relies on Minnesotans to monitor our 12,000+ lakes and 92,000+ miles of streams: the Volunteer Water Monitoring Program.
The MPCA is currently recruiting volunteers to measure water clarity in numerous lakes and streams – including several high-priority sites across the Twin Cities Metro Area – and then report back to the agency. This is the perfect opportunity for outdoor enthusiasts and those interested in protecting our state’s natural resources!
Over 50 years of environmental stewardship
When the University of Minnesota launched the Volunteer Water Monitoring Program in 1973, it would go on to become the second oldest, and still active, volunteer water monitoring program in the nation. Transferred to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency in 1978, it has since become a roaring success, empowering Minnesotans from all corners of the state to support the health of our beloved waters.
Minnehaha Creek water monitoring
How does it work?
Volunteers conduct a simple water clarity test in a body of water twice a month from April-September. MPCA provide all the equipment and training, so no experience is needed.
The MPCA uses the data to help determine whether lakes and streams are meeting water quality standards, which are designed to protect aquatic life and recreational activities, such as fishing and swimming.
In some cases, the information gathered by volunteers is the only monitoring done on a particular lake or stream!
A Secchi disk is an 8-inch (20 cm) disk with alternating black and white quadrants. It is lowered into the water of a lake until it can no longer be seen by the observer. This depth of disappearance, called the Secchi depth, is a measure of the transparency of the water.
