Volunteer Opportunities
Adopt a Storm Drain
One of the easiest things you can do is adopt one or more storm drains in your neighborhood. BY adopting a drain, you agree to keep that drain free of leaves, trash, debris, and other clutter that might otherwise be swept down the drain to the nearest lake, stream, or wetland. Participants are encouraged to track their debris removal and report amounts on the program website. SO far over 11,000 storm drains have been adopted in Minnesota, and over 500,000 pounds of trash and debris prevented from going down the drain. This is a great family activity!
Learn More
Adopt a Drain
CAMP
The Metropolitan Council’s Citizen Assisted Monitoring Program, or CAMP, is an opportunity for citizens to become more aware of the lakes in their communities. Volunteers monitor their lake every other week from April through October. The process takes a maximum of two hours a session.
The Commission, through CAMP, provides training and all supplies and equipment. Volunteers provide their time, a boat, and freezer space to store their water samples for short periods of time. No special skills are required other than the ability to handle a boat. Volunteers collect water samples, record water temperature and Secchi depth, and record their observations about lake appearance, odor, and suitability for recreation.
The CAMP program is described briefly in the Commission's Annual Reports. For more complete information, click on the Metropolitan Council's website at https://metrocouncil.org/Wastewater-Water/Services/Water-Quality-Management/Lake-Monitoring-Analysis/Citizen-Assisted-Monitoring-Program.aspx
Contact the Commission’s administrative office, virtualoffice@jass.biz, if you would like to monitor your lake.
River Watch - Macroinvertebrate Monitoring
In 1995 the Commission worked with the Hennepin Conservation District (HCD) to initiate a benthic macroinvertebrate monitoring program. River Watch, as this program is now called, is used both for education and data collection. It is a goal of the Commission to sustain existing monitoring sites, gain water quality data, and promote river stewardship through teaching and project participation by students.
In 2003 this program came under the guidance of the Hennepin County Department of Environment and Energy (HCEE). Available from HCEE are the River Watch Annual Reports which include results from all of the Hennepin County monitoring sites. They can be found on the Hennepin County website at www.co.hennepin.mn.us. Search "River Watch." Due to COVID-19. the River Watch program was not active in 2020.
If you want more information about getting your class or group involved with River Watch, please contact Mary Karius at mary.karius@co.hennepin.mn.us or call 612-596-9129.
There are many opportunities available for citizen participation. Visit member cities' websites for more information:
Champlin
Corcoran
Dayton
Maple Grove
Medina
Plymouth
Rogers
Adopt a Storm Drain
One of the easiest things you can do is adopt one or more storm drains in your neighborhood. BY adopting a drain, you agree to keep that drain free of leaves, trash, debris, and other clutter that might otherwise be swept down the drain to the nearest lake, stream, or wetland. Participants are encouraged to track their debris removal and report amounts on the program website. SO far over 11,000 storm drains have been adopted in Minnesota, and over 500,000 pounds of trash and debris prevented from going down the drain. This is a great family activity!
Learn More
Adopt a Drain
CAMP
The Metropolitan Council’s Citizen Assisted Monitoring Program, or CAMP, is an opportunity for citizens to become more aware of the lakes in their communities. Volunteers monitor their lake every other week from April through October. The process takes a maximum of two hours a session.
The Commission, through CAMP, provides training and all supplies and equipment. Volunteers provide their time, a boat, and freezer space to store their water samples for short periods of time. No special skills are required other than the ability to handle a boat. Volunteers collect water samples, record water temperature and Secchi depth, and record their observations about lake appearance, odor, and suitability for recreation.
The CAMP program is described briefly in the Commission's Annual Reports. For more complete information, click on the Metropolitan Council's website at https://metrocouncil.org/Wastewater-Water/Services/Water-Quality-Management/Lake-Monitoring-Analysis/Citizen-Assisted-Monitoring-Program.aspx
Contact the Commission’s administrative office, virtualoffice@jass.biz, if you would like to monitor your lake.
River Watch - Macroinvertebrate Monitoring
In 1995 the Commission worked with the Hennepin Conservation District (HCD) to initiate a benthic macroinvertebrate monitoring program. River Watch, as this program is now called, is used both for education and data collection. It is a goal of the Commission to sustain existing monitoring sites, gain water quality data, and promote river stewardship through teaching and project participation by students.
In 2003 this program came under the guidance of the Hennepin County Department of Environment and Energy (HCEE). Available from HCEE are the River Watch Annual Reports which include results from all of the Hennepin County monitoring sites. They can be found on the Hennepin County website at www.co.hennepin.mn.us. Search "River Watch." Due to COVID-19. the River Watch program was not active in 2020.
If you want more information about getting your class or group involved with River Watch, please contact Mary Karius at mary.karius@co.hennepin.mn.us or call 612-596-9129.
There are many opportunities available for citizen participation. Visit member cities' websites for more information:
Champlin
Corcoran
Dayton
Maple Grove
Medina
Plymouth
Rogers
