The monitoring season is winding down and there’s just a few weeks left to take clarity readings on your lake or stream. After that, yet another Secchi season comes to a close! The monitoring season always seems to slip by so quickly!

As always, we are perennially thankful to all of you for your dedication to lakes and streams in Minnesota. You are the eyes and ears on the ground, monitoring our waterbodies. Your knowledge and engagement plays such an important role in protecting lakes and streams and the MPCA is grateful for all you do.  

As a reminder, we prefer to receive all lake and stream Secchi data by October 31st, if possible. This gives us the time needed to enter it into our database and prepare it for display through our online reporting system.

For many CSMP and CLMP volunteers, the most convenient way to submit data is by using our electronic datasheet. The electronic datasheet is a Microsoft Excel document that you must download to your computer. Simply fill it in with your data, attach it to an email addressed to us, and you're done! If you submit your data electronically, you can keep your paper datasheet for your records. Important Note: DO NOT reply to this newsletter email with your 2016 Secchi data. The CMP DOES NOT receive any replies through the newsletter delivery system. Please send a separate email to us at the addresses listed below with your 2016 data.

You can download both the Lake and Stream Electronic Datasheets from the My CMP page on our website under the top heading “Data sheets”.

Please contact us if you have any trouble or questions at:

clmp.pca@state.mn.us with LAKE questions

csmp.pca@state.mn.us  with STREAM questions

Volunteers who have requested paper communication will receive a letter by the first week of October reminding them to submit data. All paper datasheets can be submitted via mail to: Citizen Monitoring Programs, 520 Lafayette Rd N., Saint Paul, MN 5515. Back to Top

The second annual Citizen Monitoring Program (CMP) Secchi Social is just a few weeks away on September 23rd at the Steele County Historical Society! Coffee and sign-in starts at 9:00am. The program begins at 10:00am and runs through 3:00pm.

We have pulled together an exciting group of speakers, food, and activities for you, and we hope that you will join us for a fun day of sharing information, stories, and getting to know one another! Here is a glimpse of what we have planned for the day:

• Rochester MPCA and local SWCD staff will provide information on water quality monitoring and watershed work in the region

• MPCA Environmental Outcomes Division Director Shannon Lotthammer will provide details, and offer clarity, on statewide water monitoring initiatives  

• Citizen Monitoring Program volunteers will share their thoughts & perspectives on their monitoring experience

• Lunch speaker, Minnesota State Climatologist Luigi Romolo, will talk about his work at the State Climatology Office and his time as a CoCoRaHS coordinator in Louisiana

• Roundtable discussions and generation of ideas that will be submitted to Governor Dayton on how to reach his “25 by 25” Water Quality Goal

• Special recognition of 5-year “Milestone” volunteers in attendance

• Raffle prizes, including Fishing, Camping, and Hiking Gift Packs, and 2 State Park Annual passes

If you haven't already contacted us, please complete the online RSVP form by Friday, September 15th or call Laurie at 651-757-2750 or Shannon at 651-757-2874 with your attendance information. Due to space limitations, we can accept RSVPs for the first 140 guests. There is no cost, and each volunteer can have one additional guest attend.  PLEASE NOTE: RSVP WILL CLOSE WHEN CAPACITY IS REACHED, OR ON SEPTEMBER 15TH. You only need to RSVP if you plan on attending.  If you are unable to join us this year, don’t worry, Secchi Socials will be held annually at rotating locations around the state. Back to Top

Did you know the fish and bugs, or biological communities, living within Minnesota’s rivers and streams can tell a story about the quality of the water and habitat within them? Each year the MPCA’s Biological Monitoring Unit samples biological communities from approximately 200-400 selected sites located on rivers, streams, and ditches throughout Minnesota. These waterways range in size from a few feet wide to large mainstem waterways, such as the Mississippi or Minnesota Rivers. So, how are the biological communities sampled, and what can they tell us?

Fish are sampled once per site from June through September, using electrofishing methods where an electric current is placed into the water, temporarily stunning any fish within range of the current.   MPCA personnel use a net to collect the fish, regardless of size, from the smallest minnows to the largest game fish, and then place them into a tub of water. Fish are separated by species, and counted, measured, weighed and released back into the stream. Depending on stream width and depth, a variety of electrofishing methods are used to maximize sample efficiency and quality. For small streams, a sampler walks through a stream carrying a shocker wand and backpack that houses a battery. For large rivers, boats are used that have the shocking equipment attached to the boat.

Bugs, or macroinvertebrates, are sampled once from August through September at the same locations where fish are sampled. A specialized net is used to take 20 individual samples from the most dominant habitat types: rocky areas, instream vegetation, undercut banks, woody debris, and/or and piles of leaves in the stream. The macroinvertebrates are placed in a jar with alcohol to preserve the sample and brought to a laboratory for identification.

Fish and macroinvertebrates are a great indicator of stream health since some species are sensitive to disturbances. This allows biologists to assess where potential issues may exist based on the communities present. For example, some fish are very tolerant of low dissolved oxygen while others are extremely sensitive to low dissolved oxygen levels. Looking at biological samples, habitat assessments, and water chemistry samples can provide a good picture of the stream health. Examples of potential problems may include low dissolved oxygen, high sediment concentrations, agricultural or industrial runoff, or lack of habitat. The information gathered can guide watershed partners to restoration or protection efforts.

For additional information about biological monitoring please contact Tony Dingmann at Anthony.dingmann@state.mn.us or at 218-316-3914. In addition, please see the MPCA’s biological monitoring webpage at https://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/biological-monitoring-water-minnesota#monitoring-18237558.

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After years of research, data analysis, and consultation with tribes, and dozens of meetings and many hundreds of comments from stakeholders and concerned citizens, the MPCA has released its proposed changes to Minnesota rules that are meant to protect wild rice from certain types of pollution.

Wild rice is an important natural resource in Minnesota. It’s a cultural and spiritual resource to the Dakota and Ojibwe people and provides food for both humans and waterfowl. In 1973, Minnesota instituted a water quality standard to protect wild rice from elevated levels of sulfate, based on observations that wild rice grew in waters with lower sulfate levels, and didn’t in waters with elevated sulfate.

Today, the MPCA is proposing rule changes that take into account the newest evidence about how sulfate and sulfide affect wild rice. Read more 

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The CMP's Citizen Science exhibit at the State Fair was a big success again this year thanks to all the lake & stream monitors who volunteered their time and shared their expertise with the public. 67% of all available shifts at the exhibit were filled by CMP volunteers - what a great turn out! Thanks again. The 2018 State Fair is less than a year away!

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A year ago, we put a call out for guest writers for this CMP newsletter and we received a fantastic response. So much so, that the “Volunteer Reflections” section of this newsletter has been filled with submissions for the last three issues! We would like to thank everyone that shared their stories, perspectives and writings with us. We really love this section of our newsletter and we hope you do too!

Upcoming editions of Transparency Times now have space available for new guest writers. We know many of you are involved in protecting and serving our state's water resources more than just through the MPCA's Citizen Lake and Stream Monitoring Programs. We know there are lake association board members, county and city government employees, CLMP+ participants, fishing guides, teachers and so much more. We are interested in hearing about your work, your perspectives, lessons learned and best practices, and we think other volunteers in the program would be interested too.

Please consider being a guest writer on any of our upcoming program newsletters. We generally have room for two stories per newsletter. If you have an interest, please contact Shannon (shannon.martin@state.mn.us , 651-757-2874) or Laurie (laurie.sovell@state.mn.us, 651-757-2750) with your proposed topic. Back to Top

As the summer winds down and monitoring comes to a close, we are already thinking about producing the 2019 Citizen Monitoring Program Calendar! The CMP Calendar is a great way to highlight your favorite lake or stream, enjoy images from your fellow CMP volunteers, and spread the word about the great water quality work that you do. To make the 3rd annual CMP Calendar a reality, we need your most beautiful, high resolution water monitoring images captured across the seasons. Here are the types of images we are interested in featuring:

• A scenic vista of your stream or lake
• Pictures of wildlife that you encountered while monitoring
• An action shot of taking a Secchi transparency reading
• Images from all seasons: spring flowers, summer fun on the water, fall colors, snow & ice too!
  

Showcase your photograph in the 2019 CMP Calendar! Email your best images to: csmp.pca@state.mn.us (streams) or clmp.pca.state.mn.us (lakes)

Please note that it is critical to have images of high resolution (300 dpi or greater) so that they are good enough quality to print. 

Thank you for helping to make the CMP Calendar a reality!  Back to top

Monitoring water chemistry is an important component to understanding the overall health of a lake. Collecting regular Secchi readings can serve as a proxy for certain measurements such as phosphorus (nutrient) and chlorophyll-a (algae), but occasional lab analysis of water samples is needed to get a true picture of the condition of a lake. Testing for phosphorus and chlorophyll-a can provide clues into the productivity of a lake (i.e. algal growth) and its suitability for aquatic recreation.  

For lakes lacking any past water chemistry data, establishing a baseline of information is important. Generally, two years in a row of water chemistry monitoring is sufficient to establish a baseline snapshot of lake conditions. Regular, annual Secchi readings should follow (a minimum of twice a month, weekly if possible). It is normal for Secchi results to vary a bit from year to year based on weather conditions, particularly temperature and precipitation, but a sustained changed in Secchi readings would indicate a need for a new round of water chemistry testing. Aside from that, if Secchi readings remain consistent year after year, a year of water chemistry testing would be advisable for a lake approximately every five years. A lake’s response to changes in the watershed is fairly slow, aside from large scale rain events or active alteration of the landscape in immediate proximity to the lake, so testing more frequently isn’t necessary to capture significant changes. Back to Top

This past month, a live silver carp was caught 9 miles from Lake Michigan after eluding underwater electric barriers in its path. The fish was netted by a commercial fisher in the area and is the second Asian carp caught beyond the barriers since 2010. According to the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee, there is no indication a breeding population exists beyond the barriers, but additional sampling of the area is planned. For more details, check out the "'Cause for Serious Concern':  Invasive Carp Caught 9 Miles from Great Lakes" on NPR. Back to Top

Identifying factors that harm fish and other stream life is a key part of the MPCA’s watershed approach to restoration and protection. Together with local partners, the MPCA examines several interrelated elements to identify these factors, or stressors, to stream health. The goal is to maintain conditions in healthy streams and fix problems in unhealthy streams. Some of the things examined during stressor identification studies include:

• Stream connections, such as dams, culverts and tile drainage

• Hydrology, including stream flow and runoff

• Water chemistry, including oxygen levels, nutrient levels and temperature

• Stream channel assessment, mainly erosion

To see if a stream stressor report is available for your area go to the MPCA watersheds map.

• Click on your watershed or type in your city

• Check “Watershed News” on the right

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The MPCA uses similar monitoring, assessment, planning, and restoration processes to manage Minnesota's large rivers as those used for lakes and streams under its watershed approach. These five rivers — the Mississippi, Minnesota, Rainy, Red, and St. Croix — are important water resources for recreation, water supply, and for commerce.

The MPCA began monitoring large rivers in 2013, starting with the Mississippi river from its headwaters to the St. Anthony Falls. Monitoring of another large river began each subsequent year. The MPCA worked with border states to develop uniform monitoring and assessment processes for large rivers. The St. Croix River was monitored during 2017. Next year, monitoring will continue on the St. Croix River and crews will return to the Upper Mississippi River to begin a second cyle of large river monitoring.

Read more about the first large river monitoring report: Upper Mississippi River: What to protect, what to fix

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