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Water Quality Monitoring - Streams

Stream Monitoring

Water quality information collected by the Stream Monitoring Program is needed to help determine compliance with MN water quality standards, to determine the extent of nonpoint source pollution, to help with the development of TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) plans, and to measure progress toward achievement of water quality standards as BMPs are implemented.

Currently, there are twenty-four automated stream monitoring stations located around the Twin Cities.

Why the Metropolitan Council?

The MCES Stream Monitoring Program was initiated in the late 1980s. Point source pollution controls alone were insufficient to attain the water quality goals of the Federal Clean Water Act.

Since then, the stream monitoring program has grown for several reasons:

• It is relevant to the Metropolitan Council's regional planning and modeling efforts.
• It promotes local resource stewardship and decision making.
• It is mandated by state law (MN Statute 473.157) to establish target pollutant loads for each watershed.

The stream monitoring Quality Assurance Program Plan (PDF) (updated 1/11) provides a detailed description of the program's purpose, procedures, methods and quality assurance objectives.