Be a Water Monitor

If you appreciate Minnesota's lakes and streams and want to help protect them, consider signing up for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's Volunteer Water Monitoring Program. You don't need any prior experience, just the will and time to help out.

Being a water monitor means getting free equipment and training from the MPCA. You'll learn to measure water clarity using a Secchi disk or tube, and you'll need to get to your designated water body at least twice a month during the summer to take clarity readings.

Lake volunteers need access to a watercraft such as a canoe, kayak, paddleboat, or motorboat. They monitor from May through September.

Stream volunteers collect clarity readings from a bridge or streambank. They monitor from April through September.

The MPCA uses the data collected by volunteers to help determine if Minnesota waters are meeting quality standards so we can protect them and keep enjoying them for all that summer fun.

Signup is open for 2026 water monitors. To check for site availability near you and register, visit the MPCA's water monitoring page.