Monitoring and Data Collection

Brown's Creek Watershed District monitors priority water bodies, groundwater, and weather in the watershed and submits quality-controlled and -assured monitoring data to the following state agency databases annually: Metropolitan Council Environmental Services’ Environmental Information Management System (EIMS), Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s Environmental Quality Information System (EQuIS), Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ LakeFinder database (lake elevations), and the Minnesota Climatology Working Group (precipitation).

Lakes and Streams Monitoring

Brown's Creek Watershed District contracts with the Washington Conservation District to complete water quality monitoring on Brown's Creek and district lakes and ponds each year.

Monitoring Locations

Brown’s Creek is monitored at Highway 15, McKusick Road, Stonebridge, and the creek's outlet to the St. Croix River. BCWD monitors Lake Masterman, Bass Lake East and West, Lynch Lake North and South, Sinnets Pond, July Avenue Wetland, Woodpile Lake, Pat Lake, Goggins Lake, Kismet Basin, Long Lake, North and South School Section Lake, Benz Lake, and Plaisted Lake.

Reports

Groundwater Monitoring

Residential Well Measurements

Brown’s Creek Watershed District has taken annual groundwater well measurements since 2012 at residential wells thanks to great volunteers. The measurements help identify trends in groundwater elevations that relate to interactions with our streams (such as Brown’s Creek), lakes, and wetlands that depend on groundwater for their source of water.

In-Stream Piezometer Measurements

In 2015, BCWD installed piezometers into the bed of Brown’s Creek at eight locations to measure groundwater levels 1-2 feet below the creek bed. Groundwater levels were compared to stream levels to determine if groundwater was flowing into or out of the creek. The results showed that some reaches of the creek gained groundwater throughout all of the monitoring season, while other reaches gained groundwater during part of the monitoring season and lost water during other parts of the monitoring season. The data from this study are important for understanding groundwater interaction within Brown’s Creek. Data collected in 2015 was used in the Brown’s Creek thermal model as well as the Riparian Shading Study.

Reports

Weather Monitoring

The BCWD Weather Station Monitoring Program has been in operation since 2012. Each season the weather station is installed on top of the vegetated berm at the Stillwater Public Works Facility and collects the following data: precipitation, air temperature, relative humidity, dew point, solar radiation, wind speed, gust speed, and wind direction. The weather station is programmed to collect data from spring through fall of each season and is removed during the winter months. This data supports district programs such as hydrologic and hydraulic models, thermal models, and projects including the Settlers Glen iron-enhanced sand filter, THPP, and the Biological Monitoring Program. The data is also routinely shared with the Washington Conservation District (WCD).

Reports

Scroll to Top