Stream / River Monitoring Programs

WLSSD Lower St. Louis River Access Point Monitoring

The WLSSD’s Minnesota St. Louis River Access Point Monitoring effort is administered by the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District (WLSSD) who have voluntarily monitored 13 to 16 access points on the Minnesota portion of the St. Louis River for bacteria levels weekly during the swimming season, from about May through September. Water samples are collected and analyzed by WLSSD laboratory staff for fecal coliform and E. coli densities, temperature, pH, specific electrical conductivity (EC25) and transparency tube clarity. .

Access Point Advisory Criteria
WLSSD will issue and post an advisory to adjacent access points following sanitary sewer overflows, by-passes, and/or breakages.

Contact Information
Western Lake Superior Sanitary District
2626 Courtland Street
Duluth, MN 55806
218-722-3336

LakeSuperiorStreams.org – University of Minnesota Duluth, Natural Resources Research Institute

In this website, you will find easy access to most everything you might want to know about Duluth’s 42 streams. You can learn about their history, geology, water quality, biology, recreation, human impacts, and management in this great city at the head of the greatest of the Great Lakes – Lake Superior.

Citizen Stream Monitoring Program – Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Minnesota streams are important for recreation, transportation, and as a source of clean water for many plants and animals...including humans! The Citizen Stream Monitoring Program (CSMP) combines the knowledge and commitment of interested citizens with the technical expertise and resources of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to develop a more comprehensive statewide network for monitoring our state's 92,000 miles of streams. Any person or group willing to devote a small amount of time and energy to conduct simple stream checks on a regular basis can become a volunteer monitor.