The Shingobee Headwaters Aquatic Ecosystems Project (SHAEP) has brought together scientists from three regional offices of the U.S. Geological Survey, and students and professors from universities in Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and California for a unique and cooperative study opportunity. This diverse group of scientists conducts research on the physical, chemical, and biological processes of lakes, wetlands, and streams to see how these processes interact within a watershed. Scientists who might not normally work together will learn from each other's approaches and develop fresh ideas for research on a watershed scale. Each highly specialized study will build onto a collective body of information that will allow for a better understanding of the processes that occur in and adjacent to lakes, wetlands, and streams. By focusing on the interfaces of these multiple scientific disciplines, SHAEP hopes to provide a broader scientific perspective than could be achieved without such a cooperative integration. The Shingobee River Fact Sheet provides more detailed information about the site location and specific research goals.
In 1987 a group of scientists from the National Research Program of the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey met to discuss the state of watershed science. The committee agreed that proper management of our Nation's water resources required knowledge of how atmospheric water, surface water, and ground water function as integrated systems. It was obvious that an interdisciplinary approach to studying lakes and watersheds was needed. The committee decided to focus initially on lakes, because lakes are a natural integrator of hydrologic processes. Rather than focus these efforts on one lake, with the hope that the information learned about this lake would transfer to other lakes the committee decided to select a paired-lake site, where two nearby lakes would have greatly different water and chemical residence times. By studying two lakes, and comparing the results, they would be able to determine which processes were important to both lakes, and which processes were unique to one or the other lake.
A nationwide search resulted in the selection of the upper Shingobee River watershed located in north central Minnesota. This watershed offered two lakes that had greatly different hydrologic settings even though they were close to each other. In addition, the area had several different types of wetlands, including the headwaters of the Shingobee River. Research to date has focused on Williams Lake and Shingobee Lake, as well as on processes occurring along the Shingobee River and within a nearby fen.
