The Volunteer Stream Monitoring Partnership was developed to strengthen effective volunteer participation and increase the usefulness of volunteer-collected data. In October 1998, representatives of 15 organizations based in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area involved in volunteer stream monitoring came together and identified several needs that could be filled by developing a metro-wide coordinated monitoring program. Funding for the planning process was provided by the Metropolitan Council Environmental Services and in-kind contributions of many WaterShed Partners.

Click here to learn more about the WaterShed Partner's (and their friends) experience with our state government during the 2000 Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCMR) process.

Benefits of a coordinated metro- wide volunteer stream monitoring program will include increased opportunities and an easier, more inclusive program serving a broader variety of volunteer groups and individuals. The public will become more aware of river issues and undertake effective action to protect streams. Communication between and among volunteers and local, regional, and state agencies will be improved and citizens will be more likely to support decisions and policies that they were involved in. Monitoring of priority water resources will be expanded and the quality and amount of data available for decision-making at the state, community, and individual level will be improved. A centralized data management system will ensure access by agencies and volunteers alike and water resources will be assessed with an emphasis on watershed health. A coordinated approach will reduce the competition for funding and other resources among organizations supporting volunteer monitoring and will provide an avenue to evaluate the success and impact of volunteer monitoring. Above all, a coordinated monitoring program will help individuals, communities, and resource agencies better understand the health of rivers and watersheds in the Twin Cities metropolitan area.

Click here to return to the Volunteer Stream Monitoring Partnership page