Field Stations

Six cooperative state owned and operated field stations (Lake City, Minnesota; La Crosse, Wisconsin; Bellevue, Iowa; Great Rivers and Havana, Illinois; and Open Rivers and Wetlands, Missouri) have been established for the Long Term Resource Monitoring Program and other field data collection, analysis, quality assurance, and applied research. Three of the field stations are located within the upper impounded geomorphic reach of the Upper Mississippi River System, one is located within the lower impounded reach, one is in the lower Illinois River, and one is in the open river geomorphic reach.

Each field station has similar complements of staff and equipment. Between five and seven permanent staff members including a Team Leader, component specialists (water quality, fisheries, and vegetation) and several technicians (fisheries and water quality) comprise the team. Temporary staff are added as needed.

Equipment at field stations consists of several boats designed for various types of sampling during all seasons (i.e., an electrofishing boat, airboat, hovercraft, canoes, and various flat-bottomed boats and motors), various types of nets and seines, and electronic equipment including water quality meters and global positioning systems (GPS). In addition, office equipment (computers, printers, copy and fax machines, etc.) sufficient to operate a typical field office is available.