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etroolita Council ~EI~E~? ~~~ Building communities that work ~ ~ ZQ~~ Environmental Services DATE: January 9, 2002 TO: Watershed, County, City, Township, and Lake Mana FROM: Randy Anhorn; Metropolitan Council, Limnolo 1st - As you may already be aware, the Metropolitan Council has been overseeing acitizen- fisted lake monitoring program (CAMP) since 1993. This year's monitoring, involved 118 lake sites in 14 sponsor watersheds, seven sponsor cities, and two sponsor counties. Although we have yet to complete the analysis of the 2001 monitoring data, (the annual report should be out the latter part of February), citizen involvement and enthusiasm as well as their collection of valid data in each of the previous years of CAMP (determined through quality assurance checks) point to the program's success. The purpose of CAMP is 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/or local governing agencies in participating in this program. It would also be useful if you would indicate to us which lake(s) you would like to include in the 2002 volunteer lake sampling program. As was the case in past years, 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 acid 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 water 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 for quality assurance. Similar to 2001, the cost to the WMOs or local governing agency in 2002 will be $ 700 per lake site per summer (including equipment, lab analyses, as well as receiving a copy of the data and a report) or $ 550 (if the sampling equipment is not needed). 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. Because the Council's budgeting process goes through many approval levels, it is important that I receive your response soon. Please send, e-mail or phone in a list of lakes that you might include in the 200 program by February 28, 2002. If any of this needs further clarification, please feel free to call me at (651) 602-8743 or e-mail me at randy.anhorn@metc.state.mn.us. I am looking forward to hearing from you. www. metrocouncil. org Metro Info Line 602-1888 230 East Fifth Street St. Paul, Minnesota 55101-1626 (651) 602-1005 Fax 602-1138 1"I'Y 291-0904 An Egual Opportunity Employer