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WATERSHED POLLUTANT LOAD MONITORING NETWORK (WPLMN)

The Watershed Pollutant Load Monitoring Network (WPLMN) measures and compares data on pollutant loads from Minnesota’s rivers and streams and tracks water quality trends. WPLMN data will be used to assist with assessing impaired waters, watershed modeling, determining pollutant source contributions, developing watershed and water quality reports, and measuring the effectiveness of water quality restoration efforts.

This long-term program utilizes state and federal agencies, Metropolitan Council Environmental Services, state universities, and local partners to collect data on water quality and flow to calculate pollutant loads.

Koochiching SWCD began monitoring for this program in 2012, collecting data at 4 sites between the Little Fork River and Big Fork River. Data collection efforts later expanded to 6 sites, including the Rat Root River. In 2018, this program was expanded to 9 sites.

This grant funding ended October 2020, and renewed funding was implemented for all of the same sites and parameters and will fund the project through June 30, 2022.