During the winter of 2010, MCWD staff researched and implemented a Citizen Lake Monitoring Initiative. Its purpose is to empower residents to monitor the quality of local lakes and enable the MCWD to increase the number of lakes monitored throughout the District. The initiative also allows interested residents to expand their knowledge about water quality, lake monitoring equipment, and methods. If you live in the District and are interested in becoming a volunteer for the MCWD Citizen Lake Monitoring Initiative, email the Water Quality Technician II.

During the fall of 2009, the MCWD Board of Managers discussed the need to collect lake water quality data on additional lakes in the District and water quality staff expanded the number of lakes monitored. Water quality staff already monitors 50 lakes (including 26 bays of Lake Minnetonka) throughout the open water season making it difficult to monitor additional lakes.

Throughout the winter of 2010, water quality staff worked with staff from the Metropolitan Council’s Environmental Services to understand the work involved in implementing and managing its successful citizen-assisted lake monitoring program (CAMP). MCWD staff sent recruitment letters to residents around 10 lakes that were last monitored by MCWD in 2008. Staff received responses from volunteers near five of the lakes, as well as two residents from lakes outside of the selected areas. In February 2010, staff met with volunteers to discuss the monitoring routine for the summer. From April to May, all volunteers were provided monitoring equipment and hands-on training. Volunteers collected and submitted water samples once a month from May to September. The data were analyzed and included in the MCWD’s 2010 Monitoring Report.