LakeBrowser
The
button below launches
the Minnesota LakeBrowser
- an online, interactive
lake water clarity
mapping tool based
on satellite data
from 1990, 1995, 2000 and 2005. It's
very easy to use
and its tools and
functions are similar
to popular online
mapping tools like
MapQuest.
Typically,
the Minnesota LakeBrowser
is used to find
the clarity of any
Minnesota lake(s). To
do so, you can either
zoom in and out
of areas to locate
lakes of interest,
or simply search
lakes by typing
a lake name in the "Search" box.
You can also add
to the map various
geographic features
like roads, rivers
and ecoregions.
Once
you have found a
particular lake,
you can retrieve
more detailed lake
water information
from the Minnesota
Pollution Control
Agency (PCA) and
Department of Natural
Resources (DNR).
Researchers
are also mapping
water clarity with
archived satellite
data enabling us
to go back into
the past and look
at historical trends.
This type of visual
information helps
resource managers
target problem areas,
enables systematic
monitoring of inland
lakes, and demonstrates
the power of satellite remote
sensing. For more
detailed lake water
clarity information
about the Twin Cities
Metropolitan Area,
go to the TCMA
Historical LakeBrowser (It
includes data for
more than 500 lakes
in the 7-county
metro area for 13
years from 1975
- 2005).
Because
we have statewide
lake water clarity
data for more than
one time period,
you can also view statistical
summaries which
compare the average
clarities over time
by county, ecoregion
and for the whole
state.
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