MPCA seeking water quality data for lake and stream assessments

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Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Do you have water quality data to share?

The MPCA is asking for your data to help assess the condition of lakes and streams and build a national database of water quality.

SWAG monitoring in Root River watershed

The MPCA is specifically interested in the following priority watersheds because the agency will be determining whether these water bodies meet state water quality standards in early 2019:

  • Blue Earth River
  • Cottonwood River
  • Lower Rainy River
  • North Fork Crow River
  • Pomme de Terre River
  • Rainy River – Rainy Lake
  • Rapid River
  • Redwood River
  • Snake River (St. Croix basin)

The MPCA is also looking for data on the St. Croix River main stem and the Lower Mississippi River main stem from St. Anthony Falls to the Iowa border.

If you have data from outside a priority watershed or one of these areas, the agency will also accept it.

The MPCA will use your data to:

  • Help plan for future monitoring efforts including what to monitor for and where to monitor.
  • Identify pollutant “stressors” that are causing or contributing to problems or threats to fishing, swimming, and recreational uses.
  • Evaluate the success of ongoing activities to protect and restore water quality.

Deadline: Submit project, lab, and field data now through Nov. 1.

Deadline: By Dec. 17 you will need to review the data entered by the MPCA.

Find out more on the MPCA's surface water data website.

Your role in collecting these data is important to Minnesota’s effort to identify impaired waters, as well as those waters in need of additional protection. Thank you for your help.

For more information on submitting data:

  • Nancy Flandrick, 651-757-2361 (St. Paul, Rochester and Mankato regional offices)
  • Jean Garvin, 651-757-2378 (Marshall and Detroit Lakes regional offices)
  • Mary Knight, 651-757-2424 (Brainerd and Duluth Lakes regional offices)