2008 Citizen Monitoring Program of the Year
Flute Reed Partnership
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Award sponsored by
HDR Engineering
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The Flute Reed Partnership, located near Hovland, MN in Cook
County, is named Water Quality Monitoring Program of the Year,
sponsored by HDR Engineering. The award recognizes an outstanding water quality
monitoring program that directly involves citizens in the gathering, analysis
and/or dissemination of information on the health of Minnesota's lakes and
rivers. The Flute Reed River Partnership is a citizen driven, organically
derived organization that has sprung up to protect a small stream that flows
into Lake Superior. The Partnership worked with the former Cook County SWCD
employee, Dave Stark, and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) staff to
create the Flute Reed River Water Quality Monitoring Plan which lays out goals,
monitoring sites, sample parameters, budget needs, quality assurance procedures
and an implementation schedule. Aside from training and installation assistance
provided by the MPCA and Minnesota Waters, volunteers were expected to use an
YSI multi-parameter probe to monitor four sites on the river. In addition,
volunteers were responsible for installing and overseeing seven in-stream probes
to record stream temperature on a continuous basis. Even before the Partnership
started the water quality plan implementation process, it applied for and
received an $18,000 MPCA Surface Water Assessment grant to conduct load
monitoring on the Flute Reed River. The Partnership is currently involved with
the Cook County Highway Department in an effort to stabilize and restore a
stream bank disturbed by a new bridge installation. Additionally, the
Partnership solicited invitations from land owners willing to have trees planted
on their shoreline property. The Flute Reed River Partnership has teamed up
with: Minnesota Sea Grant to plant trees and publish a brochure; with University
of Minnesota Extension to conduct forest management classes; with the Natural
Resources Research Institute to create this Flute Reed River website; and with
many other organizations.
2008 winners will receive their awards and a $1,000 grant at Minnesota Waters
annual RiverNight gathering of peers and water enthusiasts on August 13, 2008,
in St. Paul. Minnesota Waters promotes responsible stewardship of Minnesota's
precious water resources by engaging people, state and local policy makers and
other like-minded partners. Our mission is accomplished through education,
training, consulting, and issue advocacy.
