Citizen Lake Monitoring Program Survey Summary
In March 2010, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's Citizen Lake Monitoring Program sent out a survey to volunteers. The goal was to gain information from volunteers regarding their experience in the program. The return rate for the survey was phenomenal at almost 78%. Here is a summary of some of the results.
Why volunteers continue to monitor
When asked why they continue to monitor in the CLMP, 86% of respondents said the most important reason was that they are concerned about water quality. The second most important reason for most was that they are curious about their lake. Because monitoring is easy, quick, and enjoyable was the third most important reason that volunteers continued to monitor. Finally, gifts and recognition in the newsletter were cited as respondents' least important reasons for continuing to volunteer with the CLMP.
Satisfaction in program
Overall, the majority volunteers who took the survey are very satisfied the time required of them, the ease of equipment use, the use of data by MPCA, the quality of training materials, and the ability to get questions answered. If CLMP respondents have a question they are most likely to contact a program coordinator first. 42% were very satisfied with the awards they have received and 34% were neither satisfied nor unsatisfied.
If you have a question, who do you contact first for an answer?
Demographics
Most of the respondents to the survey (94%) monitor just one lake. Whether they monitor one lake or more, most respondents have a residence, either primary or secondary, on a lake they monitor. 61% of respondents are retired from their careers, and almost 90% are 51 years of age or better.
Volunteer age distribution
Volunteer work status
Communication
Even though 80% have adequate internet access for submitting data online, 60% of respondents' first choice for submitting data was to continue to mail in a paper data sheet. About the same number of survey takers said they would prefer to receive CLMP program news and information in the mail via newsletters and postcards as the number that said they would prefer to receive program information via email.
How would you most like to receive CLMP program news and information?
Website
97 out of 189 volunteers that took the survey have never visited the CLMP website. Those that have gone to the website go rather infrequently and are most often looking for reports or data.
If you go to the site, what are you looking for?
Reports
The majority of survey takers find newsletters and reports useful. Most view the Annual Statewide Report and are particularly interested in the maps provided in the document.
Data use
Many survey takers indicated that they understand how their data are used by MPCA and what actions are taken with the data. Only about 3% of volunteers indicated that they "have no idea" how their data is used. Less than half of respondents knew whether their data is used by other groups such as counties, watersheds, or lake associations.
How well do you understand how the MPCA uses the data you collect?
Additional opportunities
Over half of the survey respondents said that they would be interested on pursuing additional volunteer opportunities such as doing other monitoring for the MPCA.
Would you be interested in doing any of the following additional activities?
