Red and Upper Mississippi Watershed Pollutant Load Monitoring
The International Water Institute (IWI) will monitor 42 sites (3 basin, 12 major watershed, and 27 subwatershed) in the Red River and Upper Mississippi River Basins intensively during the contract period. There will also be 5 sites in the Red River Basin where mercury samples will be collected and sent to Minnesota Department of Health for analysis. The IWI will collect water samples across the range of flow conditions targeting sample collection at times of moderate to high flow. Monitoring will follow the sampling frequency and the parameter list provided by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) in the Watershed Pollutant Load Monitoring Network (WPLMN) Standard Operating Procedures and Guidance. Load calculations for each site will also be completed using the FLUX32 model. Loading information will be used at both the state and local level to guide policy and strategies for the restoration and protection of Minnesota’s waters.