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Citizen Stream Monitoring Program

Of the 48 contiguous states, Minnesota has the greatest amount of surface water.  There are over 92,000 miles of streams in Minnesota, and determining the quality of the state’s waters is an enormous undertaking.  Minnesota’s economy and recreation are directly linked to the quality of water resources—so preventing degradation and restoring polluted waters is a vitally important task.

Volunteer monitoring of Minnesota water resources has played an important role in assessing the quality of surface waters since the 1970’s.  The MPCA Citizen Stream Monitoring Program (CSMP) began in 1998 with the goal of giving individuals across the state an opportunity for involvement in a simple, yet meaningful stream-monitoring program.  Each year the program has grown and today more than 160 sites in southeastern Minnesota are monitored by volunteers.

This site on the South Branch Root River near Forestville State Park has been monitored by CSMP volunteers since 1998, providing a wealth of long-term data.  (Fillmore County)	CSMP volunteers at Middle Branch Whitewater River.  (Olmsted County)

The CSMP is one of four major components used by the MPCA to evaluate streams across the state. The other facets include stream monitoring by MPCA personnel, data collected by other local and state agencies, and remote sensing (aerial photos and satellite imagery).  Each of these key components contributes important data that results in wide geographic coverage and high data confidence. 

CSMP volunteer, BJ Norman, is measuring transparency at her site on Belle Creek (Goodhue County)

Any person or group willing to devote a small amount of time and energy to do some simple measurements at a particular stream site can be a CSMP volunteer.  Volunteers receive a rain gauge, transparency tube, data sheets, and instructions.  Volunteers are encouraged to monitor their site once a week from April through September and after significant rainfall events.  Citizen monitoring is a cost effective way to gather data on a large number of streams annually and allows local citizens to be involved in the management and protection of their water resources. 

Transparency tubes used in the CSMP are easy to use and help provide a good overall picture of stream quality.  Transparency is an indirect measure of the amount of dissolved and  suspended materials that are present in the water.Tracking transparency in a stream tells us about the health of the stream.  In general, a low transparency reading reflects a large amount of sediment (e.g., excessive soil material) in the water.  Too much suspended sediment hinders the health of a stream in the following ways: 

• Reduces light penetration needed for growth of aquatic plants
• Absorbs heat resulting in decreases in dissolved oxygen
• Interferes with ability of fish to see and capture prey
• Settled particles smother fish eggs and degrade macroinvertebrate habitat 

The Water Resources Center is working with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to help coordinate and improve the CSMP in southeastern Minnesota.  If you have an interest in playing a part in the CSMP, please contact Sheila Harmes at sharmes@winona.edu or call 507-457-2940 for more information.   

Citizen Stream Monitoring Program in the news:

Last Modified: Thursday, May 08, 2008 14:00 by