Root River Watershed Stressor Identification Update

Water monitoring is essential to determining whether lakes and streams meet water quality standards designed to ensure that waters have healthy aquatic communities and are safe for recreation. The stressor identification (SID) process is designed to study and diagnose negative impacts to fish and bug communities. The scope of Cycle 2 SID work was broadened beyond this specific intention to include field and technical work in support of local water planning goals and priorities.
Accordingly, the Root River Cycle 2 work focused on select subwatersheds. Some were new biological impairments, while others had been studied previously but lacked sufficient information on stressors or source identification. Some of the subwatersheds are identified as high priority during local watershed planning or were high focus for implementation projects. Overall, the goal of the Root River Cycle 2 SID work was to add value and better understanding of the water resources and problems in the watershed. Identifying impairments and stressors will aid in focusing best management practices (BMPs) and protection efforts.