Citizen Water Quality Monitoring of Streams and Lakes

 At the urging of MEA, the DNR has proposed a protocol for using citizen collected data in its effort to fully implement the Clean Water Act. This means that stream data that you collect in cooperation with the DNR will likely be considered in determining whether a stream or lake is “officially” polluted and requires the DNR’s resources for clean-up. Or, it may mean that the data you collect will be used to determine whether a stream supports a trout population, as opposed to a warm water species like bass.

To read the DNR’s proposed Citizen Monitoring Protocol, click here and go to Appendix A.

The DNR has already initiated a Citizen Monitoring Pilot Project in southern Manitowoc County on Fischer and Point Creeks. Residents in the area have noticed that those creeks, which drain directly into Lake Michigan, have appeared polluted for several years, but had not been able to convince the DNR that it should take action. With community organizing help from Midwest Environmental Advocates, those residents formed a group called Centerville Citizens for Air, River, and Environmental Solutions, (“ Centerville CARES”) and convinced the DNR that they would collect the water samples on Fischer Creek and Point Creek if the DNR would train them and provide funds for laboratory analysis.

Click here to read more about the Citizen Monitoring Pilot Project

The DNR has prepared its report of the monitoring done on Fischer and Point Creeks in cooperation with Centerville CARES. Click here to read the report.

To read more about Midwest Environmental Advocates' Clean Water Campaign, click here.