Volunteer BJ Norman helps the Cannon River Watershed Partnership — and the MPCA — gauge the health of Belle Creek by measuring its clarity and other parameters. Norman has incorporated the monitoring into her walking routine, sometimes going alone and often bringing family along.
Water story: Cannon River Watershed Partnership
Volunteer water monitors make a difference, one reading at a time
A drop of rain falling in Belle Creek will flow to the Cannon River and then to the Mississippi. In a similar fashion, a recording of water quality of Belle Creek will flow to the Cannon River Watershed Project and then to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA).
At Belle Creek in Goodhue County, BJ Norman celebrated her 10th year in July 2009 as a volunteer in the MPCA’s Citizen Stream Monitoring Program (CSMP) and for the Cannon River Watershed Partnership. As a volunteer, Norman uses a transparency tube to measure the clarity of the stream. She also measures and records rainfall in the area. After a decade, she can rattle off terms and history like any veteran scientist. She understands that it takes time to build a database and to identify trends.
“You get interested in it, and after awhile, you get protective,” Norman said.
The MPCA launched the CSMP in 1998, with 17 volunteers monitoring 22 sites. Now, 500 volunteers monitor nearly 750 stream locations across the state. The MPCA works with local partners, like the Cannon River Watershed Partnership, to recruit volunteers and to share data.
The data that Norman and other volunteers gather are valuable because sometimes they are the only information that the MPCA and its partners have for some rivers and streams. Data are also the first step toward protecting or cleaning a stream or river because they help the MPCA and its partners determine whether the water meets federal and state water-quality standards.
“The interest in it keeps you going, because it’s so important,” she said.
Beth Kallestad, executive director of the Cannon River Watershed Partnership, understands the importance of the data, the support of volunteers and the knowledge shared. The Cannon River group monitors 23 lakes, all by volunteers, and 30 stream sites, half by volunteers.
“The volunteers have provided sampling that we would not be able to do on our own, or would have cost us a lot of money,” Kallestad said.
With more than 105,000 miles of streams and rivers, volunteers play an important role in measuring the health of Minnesota’s lakes and streams. They greatly augment both the geographical coverage and frequency of data collection, making it possible to visit more locations, more often, according to Laurie Sovell, CSMP coordinator.
“The added value of volunteer water monitoring is rooted in the placebased knowledge of citizens, who in many cases, have lived and observed changes in their lake or river’s watershed over long periods of time. Professional monitoring staff have a wealth of technical knowledge and skills, but rarely have that contextual knowledge,” Sovell said.
Make a difference
If you live on a stream or river, consider signing up for the Citizen Stream Monitoring Program. Stream monitoring is easy and fun. The MPCA provides you with the equipment and training.
More information about the volunteer monitoring programs is available on the MPCA’s Web site or by calling 800-657-3864.