Water Monitoring

Citizen Lake Monitoring

Wright County has a robust dataset of lake quality data spanning more than 20 years! It is all thanks to dedicated volunteer citizen scientists. The datasets are used by SWCD staff and state/federal agencies to make decisions on planning, funding, and implementation.

Volunteer Requirements

Sampling occurs 5 times a year, in May, June, July, August, and September. Volunteers must visit a designated sampling location on the lake and deliver it to the SWCD office for shipment. It takes about 2 hours total per month. The cost in 2023, was $300 which includes analysis and shipping.

Alicia sitting in boat on lake pointing to a document sitting next to a citizen

Private Well Monitoring

If you get your water from a municipal source, it will be tested on a regular basis for various contaminants. However, if you own your own well then you need to test it regularly. The Department of Health recommends the following:

1) Arsenic and Lead once
2) Total coliform yearly
3) Nitrate every 1-3 years

Test kits are available at the Wright Soil and Water Conservation District Office.

Contact: Alicia O’Hare- #763-614-2919, Water Resource Specialist, Wright SWCD

You may want to seek treatment if your results are higher than:

Impaired Waters

Wright County has a number of water resources that have been listed by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) as impaired, which means that the water resource does not meet its designated use. The majority of the water resources in the County have not been monitored to MPCA standards to determine whether impairments exist. The goal is to determine the water quality status of the highest priority water resources in the County, protect those water resources that currently support their designated uses, and where needed, improve those that do not.

More Surface Water Data
The MPCA maintains a detailed record of water quality data through a web application, click here.