2008 Citizen Monitoring Program of the Year
Flute Reed Partnership
 |
 |
Award sponsored by
HDR Engineering |
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.
