North St. Louis River Soil and Water Conservation District Surface Water Assessment Grant (SWAG)

This St. Louis River Watershed assessment will include the waters of Dempsey Creek, West Two River, St. Louis River, Mud Hen Creek, Embarrass River, West Swan River, Partridge River, Barber Creek, East Swan River, Helen Lake, Pine Lake, Cadotte Lake, Colby Lake, Loon Lake, St. James Pit, Strand Lake, Nichols Lake, Ely Lake, Silver Lake, Elbow Lake, Mashkenode Lake, Carey Lake and Island Lake. These lakes and streams are found throughout the St. Louis River Watershed, which spans parts of St. Louis and Itasca Counties. This assessment focuses on collection of water chemistry and field parameters at the 27 sites identified and by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA).

The collaborative effort between North St. Louis Soil and Water Conservation District, Natural Resources Research Institute, Itasca Soil and Water Conservation District and the MPCA will utilize experienced staff to obtain comprehensive data of surface waters. This project will support the biological data collected by the MPCA and will establish whether these surface waters meet state and federal standards for aquatic life and recreation.