April 11, 2024
Monitoring Minnesota's lakes and streams
Track the health of our waters
With more than 92,000 miles of streams and over 12,000 lakes in Minnesota, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Volunteer Water Monitoring Program is gearing up for the 51st season of lake and stream water clarity monitoring across the state. We at the DNR are excited to support the MPCA in these efforts and hope you will too!
Join today in tracking the health of our waters.
How does it work?
Volunteers conduct a simple water clarity test in a lake or stream at least twice a month during the summer.
Lake volunteers:
- Can monitor any Minnesota lake.
- Need access to watercraft such as a canoe, kayak, paddleboat, or motorboat.
- Use a Secchi disk attached to a calibrated rope (provided by the MPCA) to measure water clarity. Simply lower the Secchi disk into the lake and record the depth when it disappears.
- Record readings and observations on the physical and recreational conditions of the lake and submit information at the end of the season.
- Monitor twice a month from May through September.
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