June Transparency Times 2021

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Transparency

Newsletter of the Citizen Lake and Citizen Stream Monitoring Programs

June 2021

2020 Citizen Monitoring Reports Ready!

Reports Ready 1

You can now view your 2020 Citizen Lake and Stream Monitoring Program data! To access your 2020 data, go to the Citizen Monitoring Program Individual Site Report website. From there you can navigate to your data in one of two ways:

  1. Use the map tab to navigate to the monitoring site on your lake or stream. Click on the black triangle next to the lake ID or the black circle next to the stream ID. In the box that appears, click on "Citizen Monitoring Report" . Your report will open in a new tab.
  2. Use the text tab to enter your monitoring site number (i.e. 01-0001-00-101 for lakes or S001-101 for streams) in the very bottom box titled "Citizen Monitoring Site or Lake ID number." A new page will open with the name of your lake or stream and the monitoring site number you entered. Click on the monitoring site number and your report will open in a new tab. 

If you have any questions regarding your report, please feel free to contact us at clmp.pca@state.mn.us for the Citizen Lake Monitoring Program and csmp.pca@state.mn.us for the Citizen Stream Monitoring Program. 

We greatly appreciate your patience in waiting for the release of these reports.

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Missing Your 2021 Datasheet? You Are Not Alone!

Missing  Datasheet

Our program transitioned to a new software platform in 2020 and we unknowingly experienced a glitch this past spring that resulted in hundreds of volunteers not receiving a datasheet. We greatly apologize for the confusion this has caused. With the rollout of our new online data entry system it inadvertently gave the impression that we won’t be issuing paper datasheets anymore and that everyone is required to use the new system. This is NOT the case. Our long term program plan is to continue accepting paper datasheets in addition to offering online data entry to those who wish to use it.

Everyone who didn’t receive a paper datasheet this spring will be receiving one over the next 2 weeks. If you don’t receive your datasheet by the end of June, please contact us at clmp.pca@state.mn.us for the lake program and csmp.pca@state.mn.us for the stream program.

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Online Data Entry Now Available

E services

We are pleased to announce the launch of our new online system for entering lake and stream water clarity data! https://rsp.pca.state.mn.us/TEMPO_RSP/Orchestrate.do.

We hope you find this new system a convenient and easy way to report your data to us. Please note: there is no requirement to use this new online system. Volunteers can still send in paper datasheets if they prefer.

All volunteers that participated in the program prior to the 2021 season have automatically been added into this new online system. To access your account and report your data you will need your CLMP or CSMP number. 2021 datasheets unfortunately didn’t include your old CLMP or CSMP ID, but instead used a different identifying number generated through our new software system. You cannot use this new number to log into the system.

If you have forgotten your old CLMP or CSMP number, please contact E-Services at onlineservices.pca@state.mn.us or call 651-757-2728 or 1-844-828-0942, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. CST, Monday through Friday and they will give it to you.

To log into the system:

  • Your user name will be your CLMP or CSMP number (example: CLMP-1111 or CSMP-1234).
  • Your temporary password will be your CLMP or CSMP number with “47Acq” added on to the end of it (example: CLMP-111147Acq or CSMP-123447Acq). You will need to update your password upon logging into the system for the first time.

We have posted instructions on our website on how to log-in to the system and submit your data to us: https://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/resources-volunteers.

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Monitoring During COVID-19

COVID

During the 2021 monitoring season, please continue to follow the MN Department of Health’s guidelines to protect yourself and others from COVID-19: https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/prevention.html

If you’d prefer not to monitor in 2021, we fully support that decision and will keep you on the list as a monitor for 2022. Please remember that you represent the Citizen Lake and Stream Monitoring Program in your community. If you do monitor, please adhere to the guidelines laid out by the MN Department of Health.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions by emailing us at: csmp.pca@state.mn.us or clmp.pca@state.mn.us.

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CMP Staff Update

Josh has taken a new position at the MPCA as one of our Lake and Stream Monitoring Leads. Congratulations, Josh!

With Laurie’s retirement last fall and Josh taking a new position at the agency, that leaves Shannon to staff the program for the next few months. We anticipate a new person joining the program in late July, but it will take them time to get up to speed. In the meantime, Shannon will be the contact for both the Citizen Lake and Citizen Stream Monitoring Program. We really appreciate your patience the past 6 months (and going forward!) as it has taken us longer than usual to respond to questions and inquiries from volunteers. We look forward to highlighting our new program staff member in the September issue of the newsletter.

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Pesky Plant Trackers Program Looking for Volunteers

Pesky Plant Trackers

Pesky Plant Trackers is a new citizen science program through the U of M's Department of Forest Resources. The program uses Nature's Notebook to collect phenology data on either wild parsnip or knotweed.

Observers monitor the development of one or two plants that are not disturbed by herbicide, spraying, or other management activities. The scale of the project is pretty small, each observer watches just 1-3 individual plants. Now is a great time to sign up because both plants are showing up in the environment and are easy to detect/identify. Additionally, in just a few weeks wild parsnip flower should be appearing and that is one of the key developmental processes they would like to study.

To learn more about the program and sign up, check out their introductory video https://youtu.be/uUEUwEgRKDs and website peskyplants.umn.edu.

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Field Sampling Reminders

Now that the monitoring season is in full swing, here are some friendly reminders to ensure that your data is accurate and useful:

1. Please check your datasheets for legibility. If we can’t decipher your data, we can’t use your data!

2. Record Physical Condition (for lakes), Appearance (for streams) and Recreational Suitability (for lakes and streams) each time you sample. Please choose only one number for these ratings (“2-3” or “3+” will not be used).

3. When taking Secchi measurements, remove sunglasses and turn your back to the sun if you are using a Secchi tube or take the measurement on the shaded side of the boat if you are using a Secchi disk.

Stream Sampling

Streams

  1. Don't forget to record Rain Event = Yes/No each time you sample.
  2. Note that the “Appearance” scale distinguishes “1A (Clear)” reading from “1B (Tea-colored).”
  3. Please estimate the water level at your site each time you sample. The categories to choose from are broad, so don’t agonize too much over which one to choose. For assistance with determining which “Stream Stage Estimate” category to record, please refer to the following descriptions:

L=low  Water covers 1/3 or less of the distance from the stream bottom to the top of the bank.

N=normal  Water covers 1/3 to 2/3 of the distance from the stream bottom to the top of the bank.

H=high  Water covers 2/3 or more of the distance from the stream bottom to the top of the bank. Water may be over the stream bank – flooding - at some point.

Z=no flow  Disconnected stagnant pools/puddles without observable flow.

D=dry  Stream channel is dry.

Lake Sampling

Lakes

  1. Don't forget to record the water color each time you monitor. Lake color can be quite variable, but to make categorizing responses easier, please only choose from the following colors: clear, green, stained (see image to right) and sediment. You can always provide more detail in the comments section regarding water color if you need to.
  2. Round your Secchi readings to the nearest half foot.

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Volunteer Section

CSMP Volunteers Leading the Way on Soil Health

Byrons

Mark and Karen Byron have been working hard to protect and conserve the soil and water on their 800 acre farm near Waseca.

Encouraged by their son Andrew and daughter-in-law Haley, Mark and Karen decided to try strip-tillage in 2018 on 150 acres of their operation. Strip-till is a method of tillage in which only strips of the rows are tilled instead of the full field. Strip-tillage benefits water quality by improving water infiltration, reducing soil erosion, and reducing nutrient runoff. It also requires fewer passes across the field than conventional tillage saving time, fuel, and money. This was a significant management change for the Byrons, and they have now expanded their strip-till acres to 420.

Following their experimentation with strip-till, in 2019 Mark and Karen began seeding cover crops on 100 acres. Cover crops can be challenging in northern climates because of the shorter growing season, but they have many potential benefits.

Cover Crops

Cover crops can prevent soil and wind erosion, improve soil’s physical and biological properties, supply nutrients, suppress weeds, improve the availability of soil water, and break pest cycles.

Mark and Karen have also been restoring habitat and streambanks. Habitat plantings are great for water quality and capturing carbon. In both forest and field, the Byrons have worked on creating quality habitat on their land. First, in 2011, they embarked on a large stream bank restoration project. There is a stream that meanders through a 10-acre woodland on their farm. Several oxbows were prone to sloughing and erosion.

 

Mark installed stream bank stabilization structures and rock weirs and planted 200 trees in the surrounding woodland.

Then, in 2020 Mark and Karen planted a deer-friendly mix of seeds on a border next to a wooded area and creek. They also have plans for a pollinator habitat planting in 2021.

 

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Stream Restoration