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n an overcast September day they
<br />stepped out of the truck and peered over
<br />the bank to observe the river gently
<br />flowing below Citizen volunteer monitors Bob
<br />Bjork and Gene Waldorf returned to the truck
<br />and the task at hand. The truck's tailgate started
<br />to resemble an outdoor laboratory as plastic bot-
<br />tles were prepped with specific labels and preser-
<br />vative; date, time, and weather were noted on
<br />their field sheet; dissolved oxygen meter
<br />unpacked; and other equipment assembled. As
<br />they headed back towards the river with their
<br />gear, Bob commented, ".The river is flowing alit-
<br />tle stronger than the last time we monitored. It
<br />should be interesting to see what today's seunpling
<br />brings."
<br />A Fresh Start
<br />so volunteers also measure water clarity with a
<br />transparenry tube and collect a water sample to
<br />be sent to a certified lab and measured for total
<br />suspended solids (TSS).
<br />Finally, the SRWD is interested in data
<br />on nutrients, particularly phosphorus and these
<br />volunteers collect water samples to send to a
<br />certified lab for total phosphorus and they test
<br />ortho phosphorus themselves.
<br />Bob and Gene have two important
<br />team members that help with the monitoring and
<br />organization of sampling trips. Jan Bjork and
<br />Bernie Waldorf {yes, they're related) round out
<br />this monitoring super-team.
<br />`1~lthoaigh we planned to use
<br />volunteers for years, the Rivers
<br />Council training gave us the
<br />~ In the winter of 2003-2004, the Sauk River opportunity to outline our
<br />Watershed District (SRWD) was selected to par- YnOYlitoring plans and team ~Y F-
<br />ticipate in River Council of Minnesota and with lOCal CZtZZe1ZS~~
<br />
<br />j - Minnesota Lake .Association's Monitoring Plan
<br />~ Pilot Training Program. Their application was' = AMY TRISKO,
<br />!~ chosen- based on their .commitment to citizen SAUK AVER WATER$HLI ? l )1~ i I.I~ i
<br />p olve~nent rn~water resource. management and a
<br /><I,.~~~ t~~ u,~ ~~~~~ =iz l~nli-~ dar Sl VD
<br />~-
<br />> .d[ ;inn Ln,1i5 nt~~ ~1 ~t,,,i ~>i< <u, m~~~ iii, ~ ~l~t~~~Fl;~ Q~ ~~I~~C@'EI1C~
<br />{~.n~~ii~.n~{i~~d tlii~s h~ iii~'~,,iu~ c~,l ;nt~~ran~,ni-
<br />u~n L~nii it , .,tut ~,1 i(~~.n`niir~;t, j,n, i n (~~ n~t
<br />~y~<
<br />ti~~ni J~~.,~I~;~, a ~iti;~~n t~~t; ,~~~„riu~ plan~fur part
<br />of the ~~~~I-: River Watershed. [3ob and Gene
<br />both attended workshops and contributed to the
<br />plan's development
<br />What resulted was a strategic monitor-
<br />ingplan for parts of the watershed's headwaters
<br />ghat currently has tittle infoanation. `"These vo1-
<br />unteers have chosen to monitor at 13 stream sites
<br />that include the Sauk River anc~ three of its
<br />tributaries. Tlvs part of he sub-watershed has
<br />historical issues of not enough dissolved ,oxygen
<br />and the monitors are curious toknow what the
<br />current dissolved oxygen levels show. A second
<br />issue identified .iii the monitoring plan was
<br />concerns with sediment loading .from erosion,
<br />Page 8
<br />1;~,1,:in<I t ~~~iichni!iu;~~~l.i r.iri~l t(r~ iii .<<,f~i~~i~,,_
<br />t~rmthinl~~ig.`.Theyrew i~i ~~~I ,~.;u~i~~.~ --
<br />time this project. multiple years to get a better
<br />understanding ofchangesover time, asweU ~is ~~'°
<br />begin documenting hove new changes (posit i ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ r
<br />negative) affect the Sauk River and its t ~ i i i, i i , ~ i, ;.
<br />For example; a sediment basin (a ~~ n~~i~.ui~~i~
<br />practice design to have parncles"settle.„u~ ~,t ~lu~
<br />creeks before reaching the SauklZi~~et, c~ 1~,ins~
<br />planned for Hoboken Crcck. Conruiually:> >n ~ ~ ~ -
<br />toring the creek in future yeit~s will hel~`~Ict~r-'~~
<br />mine if this land use improverirenr is mal~ng a
<br />dif}crcnce iti the creek's water qualit}'.
<br />So', ho«~ do we measure success with ~-
<br />such anew program? It's the little actions that can
<br />make°a bigdiffecence_ l~or esarnple~earlier in the
<br />Angie Becker Kudelka,
<br />RIVER WATCH DIRECTOR, RIVERS COUNCIL OF MINNESOTA
<br />808 BJORK LABELING A SAI~k ..- ~ i i _ i is
<br />
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