Streamkeeper Report - March 2024

Carl Nelson, Mitch Abbett, and Jim Sauter Rush River Macroinvertebrate Study, October 2023

by Jim Sauter
​
Greetings from TCTU Streamkeepers.
Recently we formed a TCTU Streamkeeper Task Force to develop plans for our stream monitoring efforts during the 2024 season.  The recommendations were presented and approved by our Board of Directors at our February meeting.  

An overview of our recommendations are as follows:

• Mission:  Eyes & Ears.  TCTU Streamkeepers will serve as stewards for area streams by helping protect and restore cold-water streams and be the "eyes and ears" for the TCTU organization for stream conservation.
• Landscape Planning:  Identify and coordinate.  We will conduct a comprehensive "Landscape Planning" effort to identify and coordinate with other organizations and agencies in stream monitoring efforts.  We will better fill gaps and avoid redundancy by determining who, what, when, where, and how much monitoring is being done on our area streams.
• Chemical Testing:  Pilot Save Our Stream Protocols.  Streamkeepers will refine our chemical testing protocols in ways that enhance our ability to analyze and use data.  This will be a transition year as we begin recording data on the Google Form and Izaak Walton League Cleanwater Hub.
• Trash Cleanup Days:  Expand.  TCTU Streamkeepers will expand the trash cleanup days in 2024 based on need.
• Redd Surveys:  Do a Redd Survey.  TCTU Streamkeepers will conduct one of more REDD Surveys in the fall of 2024.
• Macroinvertebrate Testing:  Maybe do a test in the fall or spring?  TCTU Streamkeepers will train and test for macroinvertebrates on our streams as needed.  If there is enough interest, we hope to provide Save Our Stream (i.e., SOS) training that could lead to SOS certification.
• Data Analysis:  Crunch the data, share with members and advocacy agencies.  We plan to better analyze data, share with membership, and coordinate results with other agencies.

As you can see, we have a rather ambitious agenda for stream monitoring during the upcoming 2024 season.  We hope you will consider getting involved in some of our many activities and events.

Happy Hour Event Planned
Are you interested in learning more about monitoring streams during 2024?  If so, please attend our training session before our next TCTU Chapter Meeting.  We will demonstrate testing water for temperature, pH, chloride, phosphate, nitrate, nitrite, alkalinity, hardness, and water clarity.  Information about how to report the data using the TCTU Google Form will also be shared.

• Topic:  Chemical Testing Training of Streams
• Time:  5:00 pm (Prior to the TCTU Monthly Chapter Meeting)
• Date:  Monday, March 25, 2024
• Location:  Fat Pants Brewery, Eden Prairie​

Do you want to practice testing water during the happy hour event?  If so, you may order free strips from the Izaak Walton League and bring these to our meeting.  The links to order free strips from the Isaac Walton League us as follows:  

• Nitrate:  https://www.iwla.org/water/stream-monitoring/nitrate-watch
• Chloride:  https://www.iwla.org/water/stream-monitoring/salt-watch

Free Secchi Tubes are available for measuring water quality from the MPCA.  You’ll need to create an account on our e-Services page and there’s a PDF instruction guide on this website to walk you through the enrollment process.  Here’s the link to the program enrollment page: https://www.pca.state.mn.us/get-engaged/find-a-site-and-sign-up.

• Use e-Services to register.
• Instruction guide for enrolling as a new volunteer (wq-s1-85b)