07/31/2013 Env Bd Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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1.0 BACKGROUND In an effort to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the health of our water resources, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and other agencies have, over the last 15 years, developed new protocols and indices for the biological assessment of streams. Because aquatic organisms express a range of tolerances to environmental conditions, biological assessment can be a powerful quantitative tool in understanding the health of water resources. Biological monitoring provides a more complete picture of the ecological health of our waters. By surveying aquatic organisms that grow, develop and reproduce, we can observe any changes occurring to our waters over time. The National River Watch Network states that five years of data should be collected in order to perform a biological characterization of a sample site. In the early 1990's, Riverwatch, a National volunteer river monitoring program brought to Minnesota to engage schools in river monitoring. The program was started by the Mississippi Headwaters Board and taken over by Hennepin County, and eventually spread across the Twin Cities metropolitan area. In 1997, a citizen wetland monitoring program was formed by local partners and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to evaluate wetland health. Sampling methods and evaluation metrics were developed by MPCA scientists to measure the health of the local wetlands. This Wetland Health Evaluation Program (WHEP) is now an award winning and nationally recognized program that uses citizen volunteers to monitor the biological health of local wetlands. Multiple layers of quality control, volunteer training, and the use of rigorous protocols assure scientifically valid monitoring results. Volunteers enjoy the program, and often become more engaged in wetland and watershed issues and stewardship within their communities. 1.1 A New Model The Stream Health Evaluation Program (SHEP) is a new model for volunteer stream monitoring modeled after WHEP and Riverwatch. The Stream Health Evaluation Program (SHEP) uses trained adult volunteers to evaluate the biological health of streams using advanced bioassessment protocols and indices specifically developed for this region. The program thoroughly monitors volunteer data collection and lab identification techniques to ensure compatibility with established protocols. Complete data cross- checks and programmatic evaluation ensure accurate and timely data that is quality certified. The Stream Health Evaluation Program (SHEP) provides local communities and watershed organizations with a premier volunteer benthic macroinvertebrate monitoring program that produces reliable data and actively engages citizens in the work of the watershed. • •