Big Sand Lake Association
committed to the preservation of Big Sand Lake
Water Quality Reports
The Big Sand Lake Association (BSLA) is dedicated to the preservation and stewardship for the waters of Big Sand Lake. One of the Association’s first accomplishments in this effort was a fly over of Big Sand to assess any source of pollution coming into the lake. This action resulted in Big Sand Lake becoming the first Hubbard County lake with 100% of its septic systems upgraded and compliant with county standards and is likely the reason for the amazing water clarity we now enjoy.
BSLA also participates in the MN Pollution Control Agency’s (MPCA) Citizen Lake Monitoring Program by recruiting Big Sand volunteers to participate. Testing and monitoring activities are financed through membership dues and grants. Many BSLA members have volunteered hours of their time to test, monitor and track conditions over the years.
Water samples are collected monthly during the season by a Big Sand volunteer for levels of chlorophyll and phosphorus and water transparency (Secchi disc) readings are recorded. The data is sent to RMB Environmental Laboratories (RMBEL) in Detroit Lakes for analysis and tracking. RMBEL compiled and published a 5-year summary of the analytical information first in 2012 and again in 2017. Click on the links below for those summaries and other Big Sand information.
- 2017 RMB Environmental Laboratories 5 year report
- 2012 RMB Environmental Laboratories 5 year report
- DNR Clarity Averages 1975-2008
- Eurasian Milfoil Flyover
- Ice Out Dates 2013-2017
Summary water quality data and statistics for Big Sand can also be found on the following websites:
- www.dnr.state.mn.us (click on Lake Finder tab and follow the prompts)
- https://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/citizen-water-monitoring (Click on Lake and Stream Information; enter Big Sand for Waterbody Name and then click the blue Search box at bottom of page - ignore all other fields)
- www.hubbardcolamn.org (follow prompts for Water Quality Reports)
Refuge for Tullibees
https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mcvmagazine/issues/2016/may-jun/refuge-lakes.html
You can now view your 2019 Citizen Lake and Stream Monitoring Program data!
To access your 2019 data, go to the Citizen Monitoring Program Individual Site Report website. From there you can navigate to your data in one of two ways:
- Use the map tab to navigate to the monitoring site on your lake or stream. Click on the black triangle next to the lake ID or the black circle next to the stream ID. In the box that appears, click on "Citizen Monitoring Report" . Your report will open in a new tab.
- Use the text tab to enter your monitoring site number (i.e. 01-0001-00-101 for lakes or S001-101 for streams) in the very bottom box titled "Citizen Monitoring Site or Lake ID number." A new page will open with the name of your lake or stream and the monitoring site number you entered. Click on the monitoring site number and your report will open in a new tab.
Additional BSLA Monitoring Activities:
In addition to the above, BSLA has participated in three other vital monitoring activities: Zebra Mussel Veliger testing, a Dissolved Oxygen (DO) / Water Temperature study in collaboration with the DNR, and Vegetative Mapping. Click on the buttons at the top of this page for a description and results of these monitoring activities.
