Long-term monitoring means a lake’s water quality has been tested for at least 15 years. But very few lakes in communities of color have been tested for that long, according to researchers from Michigan State University who analyzed more than half a million U.S. lakes.
“When we look at lakes, that's recreation and drinking water,” said Jessica Diaz, who led the study as an undergraduate student. “And especially in the West, where water is becoming more scarce, you really need to be able to understand what the health of your lake is, so that you can know how that's affecting you.”
In the West, the only lake in a community of color that had been tested more than 15 years was the Jordanelle Reservoir near Hideout, Utah, a town that is 77% Hispanic.
The study also found that lakes in Hispanic communities were 19 times less likely to have long-term monitoring data than lakes in non-Hispanic areas.
Diaz, who is now a fellow at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said the research highlights the need for local local and state monitoring programs to incorporate equity in their testing plans. This, she added, could help guide policies that improve the water quality of lakes that marginalized populations rely on for swimming, fishing and drinking.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Colorado and KANW in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
