Volunteers Expand Water Quality Monitoring on Lakes Region Waters

A volunteer water quality monitoring network covering the Lakes Region's major bodies of water has expanded significantly in recent years, as concern grows over cyanobacteria blooms that have periodically closed swimming areas and raised questions about the cumulative impact of shoreline development.

Lake associations coordinating the monitoring effort say consistent, long-term data collection has become essential for identifying trends early enough to act, rather than only responding once a visible bloom has already formed. Volunteers collect water samples on a regular schedule throughout the summer season, testing for nutrient levels widely understood to contribute to bloom conditions.

State environmental officials say shoreline development, septic system age, and lawn fertilizer runoff all contribute to the nutrient loading that fuels blooms, making the problem one that requires cooperation from individual property owners rather than a single regulatory fix. Several lake associations have begun offering septic system inspection assistance programs aimed at addressing one of the more manageable contributing factors.