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Saturday, April 19, 2008
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Depth & clarity Volunteer lake monitors keep tabs on area waters Outdoors Editor It's as clear as the clearest of Brainerd area lakes: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency volunteer lake monitors are crucial to the well-being of state waters.
And as area lakes continue to open after a winter covered in ice, these volunteers prepare for another year on our lakes, helping ensure they remain clean and clear.
Afterall, lakes are sacred in these parts. At least to these folks.
"My family understands how valuable the lake is, both environmentally and recreationally," said John Kroeger of Mounds View, who for the last 11 years has served as a volunteer on Star Lake - and two others - just west of Crosslake, where his family built a lake cabin in the late 1940s. "I hope that my kids will continue the monitoring tradition. We have a vested interest to maintain the lake and the property. It's part of our family."
They aren't alone. Don and Janet Mason of Brainerd have served as volunteer monitors on North Long Lake for 16 years and Jack Rolfs, also of Brainerd, has served on Upper South Long Lake for 22 years.
But Johanna Schussler, Citizen Lake-Monitoring Program coordinator, said the MPCA is always looking for volunteers and that many lakes throughout the state are without a CLMP volunteer.
"Getting that consistent data helps the MPCA determine if water quality in lakes is changing over time," Schussler said. "Our Web site has maps by county that identify where additional volunteers are needed."
The CLMP is a cooperative program, combining the technical resources of the MPCA and the volunteer efforts of citizens statewide who collect water-quality data on their lakes.
Any person or group can participate in the program, including anyone who lives on or near a lake or is a frequent user of a lake. Volunteers, of course, must have access to a boat or canoe to take the transparency readings. The MPCA provides equipment and training.
Monitoring is a relatively quick and easy process. Volunteers typically visit a designated spot on one or more lakes weekly during the summer, where they drop anchor, make notes of the water's physical condition and recreational suitability and measure the clarity of the water with a Secchi disk - an 8-inch white metal disk that is lowered into the water until it can no longer be seen. The depth, measured by markings on the rope, is a useful indicator of the lake's relative water quality.
Watercraft inspector interns needed in Brainerd area
The DNR is seeking watercraft inspector interns for the upcoming boating season. The inspectors are stationed at public accesses on lakes and rivers infested with invasive species such as Eurasian watermilfoil and zebra mussels.
Positions are available in the Brainerd, Rainy Lake and Lake of the Woods areas, and Cook, Otter Tail, Becker, Pope and Douglas counties.
Watercraft inspectors inform and educate the public about aquatic invasive species and the threat they pose to Minnesota waters. Other duties include assisting with access posting, conducting invasive species plant removal and other natural resource projects.
These are full-time temporary internships that start in late April and run through October, with flexibility for students still in school.
Applicants must have a valid Minnesota driver's license and be eligible to receive school credit for the position. Applications will be accepted until the positions are filled.
For more information or to request an application, contact Heidi Wolf at (651) 259-5152 or write to DNR, 500 Lafayette Road, Box 25, St. Paul, MN 55155-4025. Applications and a complete job description also may be found on the DNR's Web site at www.dnr.state. mn.us/jobs/watercraft/index.html.
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Long-term transparency monitoring by CLMP volunteers helps scientists detect signs of degradation to a lake. Generally, the sooner water quality problems are detected, the easier and less expensive it is to restore the lake to its previous state.
Volunteers will receive data sheets, instructions for assembling and using the Secchi disk, a copy of the annual report on water quality of lakes in their region and current CLMP newsletters.
For more information on becoming a CLMP volunteer, call the MPCA at (651) 296-6300 or (800) 657-3864 or visit the MPCA Web site at www.pca.state.mn.us/water/clmp.html.
BRIAN S. PETERSON may be reached at brian.peterson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5864.
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