In 1997, the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) completed a report entitled “A Strategic Environmental Quality Monitoring Program for Michigan’s Surface Waters” (Strategy).  This Strategy describes the monitoring activities that are necessary for a comprehensive assessment of water quality in Michigan’s surface waters.  One component of the Strategy is volunteer monitoring. 

Many volunteer organizations collected water quality information from Michigan streams and rivers in the past.  However, the DEQ did not have a program in place to use the data and ensure that volunteers were properly trained.  Therefore, in 1998 the DEQ developed volunteer monitoring procedures and forms for wadable streams to ensure that volunteer data were consistent and useful for DEQ.  To date,

DEQ-supported volunteer monitoring has focused on benthic macroinvertebrate community and physical habitat.   However, the DEQ is willing to work with volunteers on other types of monitoring, including water chemistry and bacteria.

The specific objectives of the volunteer monitoring program element are to:

1. Produce quality-assured data that can be used by DEQ biologists as a screening tool to identify sites where more detailed assessment by the Department is needed.
2. Develop and maintain a database into which volunteer data can be stored and maintained.
3. Generate/foster public awareness, stewardship and surveillance of Michigan surface waters.

Grants are awarded to volunteer organizations to monitor wadable streams and rivers.  Since 1998, $50,000 has been made available for grants each year.  The grants serve as seed money to help organizations establish volunteer monitoring activities.  DEQ staff provide training to all funded volunteer groups.  The training includes classroom and field instruction.  In the classroom, volunteers are introduced to the survey forms, sampling procedures and logistics and shown examples of different types of habitat characteristics (substrate, riparian vegetation, riffles and pools, etc.) that they may encounter.  The majority of classroom time is spent teaching volunteers to identify macroinvertebrates.  The volunteers also learn how benthic invertebrates reflect water quality, and which taxa are most sensitive to stream degradation.  During the field portion of the training, volunteers visit a stream to assess stream habitat and collect/identify invertebrates. 

DEQ staff also provide other technical assistance to volunteers, including site selection advice, quality assurance procedures, database maintenance, additional training, and presentations at meetings.

Related Links

• Governor's Executive Order Creating the Michigan Clean Water Corp
• 1998 - 2001 Volunteer Monitoring Report
• Report:  "The Use of Michigan Volunteer Monitoring Data - Benefits and Constraints"
• Single Site Watershed Survey Data Sheet
• Instream Survey Data Sheet
• Stream Crossing Watershed Survey Procedure
• Map:  Funded Volunteer Watersheds - Fiscal Years 1998 - 2001

For more information about the Volunteer Monitoring program element, contact Gary Kohlhepp at 517-335-1289 or e-mail at kohlhepg@michigan.gov