Anoka County communities owe citizen volunteers our gratitude for monitoring and reporting water quality data. Resident volunteers collect periodic water clarity information for the Minnesota’s Citizen Stream Monitoring and Citizen Lake Monitoring Programs.

The data collected by citizens is entered and maintained in a Lake and Stream Database  used by residents, lake associations, schools, community organizations, watershed management organizations, and city and county agencies (parks, utilities, environmental and health departments) to determine current conditions and trends in the quality of our shared water resources.

Become a citizen lake or stream monitoring volunteer to gather vital information about the quality of our water resources.

LAKE MONITORING SITES (ACTIVE)

• Coon1 – Coon2 – Coon3 – Coon4
• Crooked
• Fawn
• Ham
• Martin1 – Martin2
• Moore (east)
• Linwood
• Peltier
• Otter

STREAM MONITORING SITES (ACTIVE)

• Cedar Creek at Fawn Lake Drive
• Cedar Creek 0.5 mi. west of County 9 in East Bethel
• Coon Creek at the Vale St. Bridge in Coon Rapids
• Coon Creek north of County 11 at Lions Park in Coon Rapids
• Coon Creek upstream of confluence with the Mississippi River
• County Ditch 56 at Co. Road 22 (Coon Lake Inlet)
• Martin Lake inlet from Island Lake
• Rice Creek at 150 meters west of Central Ave in Fridley
• Rum River at Pleasant Street Bridge in Anoka
• Trott Brook at Aerolite St. in Ramsey

VOLUNTEERS WANTED. There are lakes and streams that the Water Monitoring Program is encouraging volunteers to monitor including:

• PRIORITY: Cedar Creek at Co. 9 (Oak Grove);
• PRIORITY: Seelye Brook at Co. 7 (Oak Grove);
• PRIORITY: West branch of the Sunrise River near Co. Rd. 19 (Linwood);
• Amelia (Lino Lakes);
• Baldwin (Lino Lakes);
• Cedar (Lino Lakes);
• Centerville (Centerville);
• Crossways (Columbus);
• Deer (East Bethel);
• Fish (East Bethel);
• George (Oak Grove);
• George Watch (Lino Lakes);
• Howard (Columbus).
• Minard (East Bethel);
• Mud (Oak Grove);
• Neds (East Bethel);
• Reshanau (Lino Lakes);
• Rice (Circle Pines);
• Rice Creek Marsh (Lino Lakes);
• Rondeau (Centerville);
• Round (Anoka);

To learn more about the Citizen Science Water Monitoring Program visit the MPCA’s Citizen Water Monitoring web page or view the videos: MPCA Citizen Science Program (MPCA YouTube; 3:46); EPA Volunteers Make Citizen Science Work (EPA YouTube; 2:12) or call the MPCA at 651-296-6300 and ask to speak to the Citizen Water Monitoring program coordinator.

To sign up to become a Citizen Lake Monitoring volunteer visit the CLMP sign-up web page.

To sign up to become a Citizen Stream Monitoring volunteer visit the CSMP sign-up web page.