Congrats to the CSMP class of 98

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1 Congrats to the CSMP class of 98 he Citizen Stream- TMonitoring Program started as a pilot project in 1998 with only 22 sites and 17 volunteers. Eleven of those monitors made it to the five year mark, submitting data in We would like to take this opportunity to say THANK YOU to our long time monitors. For their efforts, the Class of 98 received CSMP travel coffee mugs and certificates of recognition. CSMP Monitors continued on page 3 St. Louis River River Watch Team 2003 team photo submitted by Director Courtney Kowalczak St. Louis River, Carlton County Louise Hotka Carol Kohn Don Quaintance Donna Rasmussen Mississippi River, Hennepin County Mower and Fillmore Counties Isanti County Ditch 10, Isanti County Fillmore County

2 YOUR DATA: There are many uses for Citizen Stream-Monitoring Program data. On the local level, a number of Minnesota counties are using CSMP data as a baseline for understanding water quality. Watershed projects and lake associations have used transparency tube data collected by CSMP volunteers to identify sources of sediment to downstream waterbodies. On the state level, a new use for CSMP data is in the works. Since the inception of the program, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has envisioned using CSMP data in the agency s biennial report to Congress on water quality. The MPCA will use CSMP transparency tube data to help determine surface-water impairments starting in Transparency tube readings are good predictors of turbidity, or the murkiness of stream water. The relationship between T-tube data and turbidity readings is being developed specific to Minnesota streams. In general, low transparency readings indicate high turbidity. Why turbidity? Minnesota has a water-quality standard for turbidity. If a certain number of turbidity readings exceed this standard, the stream is listed as impaired. New Developments In How It Will Be Used Using both T-tube and turbidity data, we can determine if a river is impaired and needs to undergo improvement via land management changes such as buffer strips, upland erosion control, wetland restoration, or native plant restoration. An MPCA workgroup is currently fine-tuning the details of how to use T-tube data to assess rivers for turbidity impairments. How much data should be required to conduct an assessment, and for how long must a river have been monitored? How low does transparency have to get for a river to be considered in violation of the turbidity standard? Can we say a river is impaired for turbidity based on T-tube data alone, or do we need some turbidity data as well? These are some of the questions being addressed by the work group. Minnesota has 92,000 river miles. Currently, only eight percent or about 7,000 river miles have been assessed for water quality impairments. Using CSMP data in this way will greatly increase the percentage of river miles assessed for turbidity impairments in Minnesota. Upstream of Development Transparency Turbidity Exceeds Turbidity Standard? >100 cm 2.8 No 20 Downstream of Development cm 890 Yes 20 2

3 CSMP Monitors continued from page 1 Johannah Vreeman Fillmore County Five-Year Monitors (no photos submitted): Bob & Eloda Wood Fillmore County Gary Brekke Red River of the North, Clay County Charles Wagner Little Toad Lake Inlet, Becker County Tom Schmitz Forestville and Canfield Creeks and the South Branch Root River, Fillmore County Diane Hafner Fillmore County Also receiving awards in 2002 were monitors completing their first, second, and third seasons with the CSMP program. Eighty-four volunteers completed their inaugural year and received a CSMP T-shirt. One hundred and two volunteers received hats for completing their second year and 55 clipboards were sent to volunteers completing their third season of monitoring. Thank you to all of our dedicated volunteers! CSMP Word Flow Calling all river rats! Try your hand at solving this river-related crossword puzzle. Send your completed puzzle to: Laurie Sovell, CSMP Coordinator, MPCA, 520 Lafayette Rd. N., St. Paul, MN The first three people to submit the correct answers will win an insulated CSMP travel mug. ACROSS 1. Area of land bordering a stream that frequently floods. 5. What a T-tube measures. 8. County with the most five-year monitors. 10. Mississippi headwaters are found in what state park? 11. Land drained by a river or stream. DOWN 2. State fish of Minnesota. 3. Longest river in Minnesota. 4. Overland flow of water following a rain event. 6. Tool used by lake monitors: disk. 9. Bend or curve on the river. 3 3

4 TUBE TEASERS: Answers to your stream-monitoring questions The 2004 season is well underway. Many of you noticed that quite a few changes appeared this year on datasheets and on cheat sheets. We thought we d let you know why. New Appearance Scale: You will notice that this year the Appearance Scale has changed. This was the topic of discussion in the last issue s Tube Teasers section. This new scale should clear up any confusion on judging appearance. Please be sure to use the new scale from this point forward. 100-cm Monitors: Monitors in areas with consistently high transparency readings received a 100-cm tube to use in addition to their 60-cm tubes. They have been asked to use the 100-cm tube when transparency is above 60 cm and both tubes when it is below 60 cm. This will allow us to gain more data about the longer tubes, determine their practicality in Minnesota, and help us ensure that when both tubes are used, you get similar readings. Tape-Down/Water Level Height: You will notice a change in the column headings for these What s New and Why? Summer 2004 measures on the 2004 stream data sheet. We have changed the Water Level Height column to a more meaningful and useful Gage Height column. If you have an established staff gage at your site (US Geological Survey, Department of Natural Resources, or locally maintained), simply read the number off the gage and record it in decimal feet on your data sheet. If you are not sure whether there is an established gage at your site, please contact Pam Skon or Laurie Sovell at Tape-down measurements will still be accepted, but please make sure you are lowering your tape measure from the same exact location each time (see measuring point documentation below). For the numbers to be meaningful, measurements should be taken from a permanent location stream bottoms and rocks are not good locations, since they can change or move from year to year. Bridges and culverts are permanent features that can be located easily and remain consistent, making them good spots for taking tape-down measurements. Readings should be measured from a point above the water down to the water surface. Measuring Point Documentation A measuring point is the exact spot from which you lower your tape measure when taking a tape-down measurement. In the near future, CSMP volunteers who track stage by taking a tape-down will be asked to document their measuring point location so that if it changes, we have a record of the original location. A form will be sent out that asks you to specify the exact location of your measuring point upstream vs. downstream side of bridge/culvert, or other structure, etc. This way, if a new measuring point is needed (e.g. bridge or culvert is replaced), we can relate a new location to the old one, or a new monitor can find the exact spot from which tape-down measurements should be taken. 4 4

5 2003 CSMP Report in progress CSMP The 2003 Report on the Transparency of Minnesota Streams is currently being compiled. We hope to have it printed and delivered to you by the Thanksgiving holiday. Interested in Entering Your CSMP Data Online? Address Updates If you are a snowbird and have an alternate address for winter mailings, please let the CSMP staff know. We often receive mail returned to us and are not always sure where to forward it. MPCA Volunteer Monitoring Training Video in the Works A training video for the Citizen Stream and Lake Monitoring Programs is in development. The video will be distributed to new volunteers as part of their monitoring kits, and will detail safety procedures, equipment use, and sample collection. Available in VHS and DVD formats, the video will be completed by the beginning of the 2005 monitoring season. Current volunteers will be able to view clips from the video on the CLMP and CSMP websites. CLMP Plus Program in Aitkin County for 2004 The Citizen Lake-Monitoring Program (CLMP) offers an enhanced monitoring option known as CLMP Plus in one or two counties each season. In addition to regular Secchi disk water clarity readings, CLMP Plus volunteers record water temperature profiles and collect water chemistry samples that are then processed at a water quality laboratory. The combination of water chemistry and Secchi data provide a more detailed description of lake water quality. CLMP Plus is monitoring 15 lakes in Aitkin County this year. Trainings were held in May to get volunteers up to speed on equipment use and sampling technique. Six samples will be collected at each site over the summer in conjunction with regular Secchi disk readings. For more information, contact Pam Skon or Jennifer Klang at Season Wrap-Up The tally is in for the 2003 monitoring season. Three hundred and twenty-four volunteers participated in the CSMP last season with 467 sites monitored. Great job to our volunteers!! We are looking for a few brave souls to test a new online CSMP data entry system. If you are interested in testing it out, please contact Laurie Sovell or Pam Skon at or us at pamela.skon@pca.state.mn.us or laurie.sovell@pca.state.mn.us. New Sources/Publications Service Provider Directory Rivers Council of Minnesota Service providers are the people and organizations that assist citizens monitoring the streams and rivers of Minnesota. Service providers may provide technical services (such as training), direct services (such as analyzing data), or resource services (such as loans or grants). This directory, produced by the Rivers Council of Minnesota, is a free resource designed to link you to these services. To access the directory, visit or contact Angie Becker Kudelka at abeckerkudelka@riversmn.org or Report on the Transparency of Minnesota Lakes is available. Curious about the clarity of a lake you visit? The sister program to the CSMP, the Citizen Lake-Monitoring Program s (CLMP) annual report is available online at or by contacting Pam Skon or Jennifer Klang at or at pamela.skon@ pca.state.mn.us or jennifer.klang@pca.state.mn.us. 5

6 In Your Own Words Do you have an interesting story, anecdote, or photo you would like to share with other monitors? Plans are in the works to add a section to the CSMP website called In Your Own Words where volunteers could share their monitoring experiences. Possible stories could include why you monitor, a funny event related to monitoring, or even something that you have learned while monitoring. Since a picture tells a thousand words, feel free to include a photo with your story. Anyone interested in submitting a story (one page limit) should contact Pam or Laurie at or at pamela.skon@pca.state.mn.us or laurie.sovell@pca.state.mn.us. Corrections to the 2002 Report on the Water Quality of Minnesota Streams Pages Heading should read: Appendix 2. Summary of 2002 CSMP data collected with 60 cm Transparency Tube. Dawn Eigenberg West Fork Des Moines River CSMP0059 was not listed in appendix Ron Tibodeau West Fork Des Moines River CSMP rain, not Minnesota Pollution Control Agency 520 Lafayette Rd. N. St. Paul, MN Bulk Rate U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 171 St. Paul, MN This newsletter can be made available in other formats for people with disabilities. Call (651) (voice), (651) (TTY) or (800) (voice/tty). 6 Printed on recycled paper containing at least 30 percent fibers made from paper recycled by consumers.