Crews will conduct monitoring projects

Crews from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency will conduct intensive water monitoring projects in seven watersheds this summer, including the Zumbro River watershed.

The MPCA is beginning its fifth year of a 10-year effort to assess the condition of Minnesota’s 81 major watersheds. Each watershed comprises a network of interconnected streams, lakes, and wetlands. The goal is to develop a complete picture of the health of the water bodies within each watershed, officials said.

When monitoring rivers and streams, the MPCA surveys the water body's fish, plant life, and aquatic invertebrates such as insect larvae, crayfish, snails, and leeches. The teams also evaluate habitat, flow, and water chemistry. Lake monitoring crews focus mainly on nutrient concentrations and other characteristics correlated with a lake’s suitability for fishing, swimming, and water recreation.

The MPCA will sample more than 50 lakes in this year’s selected watersheds. The others are Red Lake River, Grand Marais Creek, Leech Lake, Pine River, Lake of the Woods and South Fork Crow River.

For more information, visit http://www.pca.state.mn.us/clyp906.

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