MSU researchers find US lakes in communities of color are monitored less for water quality

by Emilie Lorditch, Michigan State University
September 9, 2024

Lakes provide drinking water, food, recreation and mental health benefits to people who use them or live nearby. Regular monitoring of water quality is essential to collect information to track lake health. Without this information, people who use the lakes may be at a higher risk if water quality is poor. Furthermore, some people — based on their race or ethnicity — may be at greater risk than others.

A team of Michigan State University researchers found that lakes in communities of color were three times less likely to be sampled at least once than lakes in white communities. The disparity was even larger when taking into account lakes that have been monitored for 15 years or more. Lakes in communities of color were seven times less likely to have long-term monitoring data than lakes in white communities. The researchers found similar disparities in lake monitoring in Hispanic communities compared to non-Hispanic communities.

Keep reading: https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2024/msu-researchers-find-us-lakes-in-communities-of-color-are-monitored-less-for-water-quality

Read the Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment paper: https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/fee.2803