Fiscal Year 1987 Program Report

Abstract

This report summarizes activities of the University of Minnesota Water Resources Research Center for fiscal year 1987, covering the period July 1, 1987 through June 30, 1988. The report describes results of research projects sponsored by the center, its information transfer and coordination activities, and its involvement in training water resources scientists and engineers. During this period, the Center funded eight projects through its federal grant program. A wide range of issues and problems were addressed by the eight projects. Four were concerned with water quality aspects of Minnesota lakes, one each with lake-groundwater hydrology, wetlands, water quality, and treatment technology. Two lake projects developed new and improved methods to assess nutritional and trophic status of lakes, and a third project was concerned with assessing trophic state changes in prairie lakes of central Minnesota since agricultural activity began in the region during the mid 19th century. Another project examined historical trends of mercury contamination in lakes of northeastern Minnesota in relation to efforts to define the sources of contamination. Four of the FY 1987 projects were in their second (and final) year, and completion reports are in preparation for publication in late 1988. Completion reports for two projects that ended in FY 86 were published during the past year. The Center organized and co-sponsored a major, statewide conference on water resources problems and issues in Minnesota called Minnesota Water: 1988, which was held in St. Paul in February 1988 and attracted over 350 participants. In addition, the Center co-sponsored a half-day workshop on nitrate contamination of groundwater that attracted over 125 participants.