Lake Assessment Program: A Cooperative Lake Study Program

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Abstract
The Lake Assessment Program is a cooperative lake study program involving Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) staff and local citizens. It was initiated in 1985 as a pilot program to fill the gap between the Citizen Lake Monitoring Program (Secchi disk monitoring) and intensive studies by MPCA and the Clean Lakes Program. Citizen involvement is the principal focus of the Lake Assessment Program. Citizens participate in sampling, watershed and lake review, defining the lake's history, and setting lake water quality goals. The Lake Assessment Program provides valuable information for the local citizens, MPCA, and others interested in protecting or improving the quality of a lake. Fifteen Lake Assessment Program studies have been completed. The Lake Assessment Program will be an integral part of Minnesota's Clean Water Partnership Program and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean Lakes Program in Minnesota, providing information necessary to select projects and to communicate ideas about lake protection and restoration. An overview of this program is presented with examples of completed studies. Using an ecoregion framework in the goal-setting process will also be addressed.

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