Since its inception,  Becker COLA has affirmed  that each member lake association should undertake monitoring to ascertain the trophic condition of their lake(s), to identify trends in lake conditions, and identify possible water quality problems.    

COLA has adopted the following goals  for member lakes:

 

 1. Each lake association should fully participate in the Minnesota Citizen Lake Monitoring Program (CLMP) by taking 12 Secchi disk readings each year and reporting them to CLMP.
 Each lake association should collect at least 5 chlorophyll  (Chl-a) and phosphorus (TP) samples, June-September, two years in a row, followed by an interval of 2-3 years during which no samples are collected.  

COLA is committed to assist  member lake associations

 · in interpreting data from their monitoring programs in adopting additional lake-specific monitoring programs to supplement  monitoring activities described above. by  providing information on remedial actions needed to respond to problems identified by monitoring programs

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Who Pays?

 COLA has been able to subsidize   lake monitoring activities,  usually by   paying for one-third of sample analy sis costs, but the vast majority of the total costs, time and money,  have been borne by  volunteers.    

Do COLA Lakes  meet monitoring goals?

· The MPCA’s Citizen’s Lake Monitoring Program recommends that each lake collects at least four annual Secchi readings—30 of  COLA lakes meet this standard in 2011
 

· MPCA suggests that at least 8 samples within the last 10 years (in at least 2 different years)  provides “excellent” data for identification of eutrophication of a lake—All 42 COLA lakes meet this standard in 2011.

 · COLA recommends that lakes take at least 10 secchi readings each year, and 10 paired chl-a and TP samples (over 2 years), every five or six years.  30 COLA Lakes meet these rigorous standards in 2011. 
 

 2.