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~~L~ , Working for the Region, Planning for the Future Environmental Services November 21, 1997 JEFFREY ROESSLER, PRES. GRASS LAKE WMO C/O CITY OF SHOREVIEW 4600 VICTORIA ST. SHOREVIEW MN 55126 Dear Mr. Roessler: As you may already be aware, the Metropolitan Council has been overseeing acitizen-assisted lake monitoring program since 1993. This year's m~ritoring, which involved 60 lakes in 1l sponsor watersheds, four sponsor cities, and two sponsor counties has been underway since mid-April. Although, we have yet to complete the analysis of the 1997 monitoring data, citizen involvement and enthusiasm as well as their collection of valid data in eac~l of the previous years of CAMP (determined through quality assurance checks), point to the program's success. The purpose of the lake monitoring program is designed to provide lake and watershed managers with good lake quality data as well as involve local interested citizens. In order to determine potential involvement we need to hear from you about the interest of your watershed management organization (WMO), and local governing agencies in participating in this survey program. It would also be useful if you would indicate to us which lakes you would like to include in the 1998 sampling program. As was the case a year ago, we envision that WMOs and local governing agencies will be the primary liaison for the citizens who do the sampling and the Council staff who coordinate the collection and analysis of samples. Involving citizens serves the dual role of substantially reducing the cost of obtaining data and at the same time, involving local residents in water quality issues. Citizen volunteers, using simple field collection and preservation techniques, can be trained to collect credible data. The sampling program involves collecting samples from the lake surface at bi-weekly intervals throughout the summer (mid-April through mid-October), for a total of 14 sampling visits. Volunteers collect water to be analyzed for total phosphorus, total Kjeldahl nitrogen and chlorophyll, and measure surface temperature and :eater transparency with a Secchi disk. Water samples are processed and then stored in the citizens' home freezers for later pick-up by Council staff, and volunteers use inexpensive sampling equipment provided by the Council as part of the overall cost per lake site. Council staff will also collect occasional samples far quality assurance. The cost to the WMOs or local governing agency in 1998 will again be X1,000 per lake site per summer. This cost includes equipment, lab analyses, as well as receiving a copy of the data and a report. The cost will be slightly less (approximately $860}, if the sampling equipment was already acquired as part of CAMP in previous years. Council staff will assist when needed, but we feel the WMOs or local governing agencies benefit most from the involving its citizens in the monitoring process. The Council will train the citizen volunteers, collect the samples for analysis, provide quality assurance sampling, and report the sample results to the WMOs and local governing agencies. 230 East Fifth Street St. Paul, Minnesota 55101-1633 (612) 222-8423 Fax 229-2183 TDD/TTY 229-3760 An Equnl Opportunity Ernp(oyer