You can help!

If you live on a lake or river, you can adopt practices that prevent nutrients from flowing into the water and accelerating algae growth. In addition, if you live on a river or lake (or frequently visit one) that has not been fully tested, you can help fill the information gap.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s Citizen Lake-Monitoring Program teaches volunteers how to use a Secchi disk to check a lake’s water clarity. Some volunteers also sample their lake’s phosphorus and algae levels.

The agency’s Citizen Stream-Monitoring Program teaches volunteers how to measure a river’s transparency, rate the river’s level (low, normal, high), check water color, and keep a rain gauge.

Minnesota Waters is a non-profit organization that specializes in training citizens to conduct water quality monitoring.

You can also help by maintaining shoreline in a way that reduces runoff.  See the DNR fact sheet on landscaping your shoreline.