Monitoring activities are performed each year within the watershed. Many of lakes in the watershed are sampled by volunteers as part of a Metropolitan Council program. The Washington Conservation District performs additional data collection on rainfall, watershed flows, lake levels and groundwater. This data collection is essential to understand trends in water quality and how to better manage flooding in the watershed.
The Monitoring Plan
Waterquality and quantity monitoring has been an on-going effort for the SWWD since 1996. The District will continue this initiative and partner with suitable entities to maintain the automated monitoring stations. Monitoring and data analysis relating to surface water flows, key infiltration areas, groundwater, lake levels and precipitation are expected to remain part of the District’s overall initiative. This Plan details the District’s ongoing programs.
Surface Water Monitoring
Contents: These documents contain a summary of methods and results for various surface water monitoring efforts by the Washington Conservation District (WCD). Generally, data is presented with respect to 8 lake levels, groundwater levels at 7 stations; stream flow discharge rate, volume and quality, runoff discharge rate and volume, precipitation; and, lake water quality for Armstrong and Powers Lakes. Discussion and interpretation of the results was outside the scope of the documents.
- Armstrong Lake
- Colby Lake
- Powers Lake
- Bailey Lake
- Markgrafs Lake
- Wilmes Lake
- East Ravine
- West Central Draw
- Lower St. Croix
- East Mississippi