Public Outreach Opportunities

The Bassett Creek Watershed Management Commission (BCWMC) currently participates with the Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES) Citizens Assisted Lake Monitoring Program (CAMP) and Watershed Outlet Monitoring Program (WOMP). The BCWMC has also supported the Hennepin County Environmental Services River Watch Program and Three Rivers Park District’s RUSS lake data collection program.

Citizens-Assisted Lake Monitoring Program (CAMP)

The BCWMC has participated with the MCES in its CAMP program during 1993 and annually since 2000. The long-term goal of CAMP is to obtain and provide information that enables cities, counties, lake associations, and watershed management organizations to better manage area lakes, thereby protecting and improving lake water quality. CAMP has been very successful at involving citizens in lake monitoring efforts and greatly expanding the number of lakes with water quality data.

Volunteers measure surface water temperature and transparency, and collect surface water samples that are analyzed for total phosphorus, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, and chlorophyll-a on a biweekly basis from mid-April to mid-October (approximately 14 sampling events). During 2005, volunteers monitored the following lakes in the Bassett Creek watershed: Sweeney Lake and South Rice Lake in Golden Valley, Northwood Lake in New Hope, Westwood Lake in St. Louis Park, and Parkers Lake in Plymouth.

Interested volunteers can contact your Bassett Creek Commissioner or Barr Engineering Company, engineers for the BCWMC.

For further information see the following web site: http://www.metrocouncil.org/environment/RiversLakes/Lakes/campLakes.htm

Watershed Outlet Monitoring Program (WOMP)

Detailed stream monitoring was performed in cooperation with the Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES) and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) as part of the watershed outlet monitoring program (WOMP). The MCES lists the following objectives for WOMP:

First, the collection of surface water quality information is relevant to regional planning and modeling efforts.
Second, there was an opportunity to stimulate water quality monitoring efforts at a local level to promote local resource stewardship and decision making.
Lastly, the Metropolitan Council is mandated by state law (MN Statute 473.157) to establish target pollutant loads for each Twin Cities Metro Area watershed. These data are critical for understanding non-point source pollutant impacts on water quality at the watershed level, and for documenting water quality improvements as non-point source best management practices are implemented in these watersheds.

For further information see the following web site: http://www.metrocouncil.org/environment/RiversLakes/Streams/index.htm

River Watch Program

The BCWMC has supported the Hennepin County Environmental Services in its River Watch Program from 1999 through 2005. The program was previously managed by the Hennepin Conservation District (HCD). During 2003, management of the program was transferred to Hennepin County Environmental Services.

The Hennepin County River Watch Program:

Provides hands-on environmental education opportunities for high school and college students.
Obtains water quality data on Hennepin County streams and creeks.
Promotes an understanding of watersheds and how water quality is related to land use.
Promotes river stewardship.

For further information see the following web site: http://lakeaccess.org/lakedata/frames/medicineframeset.htm

Remote Underwater Sampling Station (RUSS) Program

The BCWMC participated in a grant application with the Water Resources Rehabilitation Board, University of Minnesota and Hennepin County Parks to the Environmental Protection Agency to implement a continuous monitoring station on Medicine Lake and to implement a public education program to teach the public about the impact of phosphorus on the water quality of Medicine Lake.

Currently, Three Rivers Park District and the city of Plymouth work cooperatively in monitoring Medicine Lake.

For further information see the following web site: http://lakeaccess.org/lakedata/frames/medicineframeset.htm

Following is a list of educational and informational items and websites:

"Rain Gardens - A how-to manual for homeowners," published by the University of Wisconsin-Extension. This publication can also be viewed on the web at clean-water.uwex.edu/pubs/raingarden.