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River, Stream and Lake Monitoring

In support of the Council's commitment to sustaining water quality in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area (TCMA), through the Water Resources Management Policy Plan, the Water Quality Program monitors the quality of regional rivers, streams, and lakes. The information obtained through the Council's Water Quality Program is used to identify water quality problems, as well as provide the necessary information needed to improve and protect TCMA water resources. The information also provides a means of measuring progress to achieving these goals.

River Monitoring

The large rivers in the TCMA are regularly monitored for a wide variety of water quality variables that help document long-term changes in water quality. Additional river monitoring serves to assess and characterize biological communities and riverbed sediments.

Stream Monitoring

There are twenty-six long-term stream monitoring stations in the TCMA, and six stations in southwestern Minnesota near the city of Mankato. Some of these stations are cooperatively operated between Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES) and local governments. The diverse range of variables analyzed allow for characterization of the streams which are being monitored, and are leading to the development of Target Pollutant Loads for the TCMA.

Lake Monitoring

MCES monitors TCMA lakes to provide a comprehensive database that allows cities, counties and watershed management organizations to better manage these lakes.

Wastewater Treatment Plant Monitoring

MCES monitors the quality of treated wastewater which is discharged from its eight wastewater treatment plants into TCMA rivers. Groundwater monitoring is also conducted at various wastewater treatment plants in the TCMA.

Special Monitoring Projects and Studies

Special monitoring projects are conducted in support of water quality goals, often in cooperation with other interested agencies.