Lake & Stream Monitoring

Protect Our Lakes!

Join the MiCorps Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program

Program Details
wooden dock stretches out over still blue lake with forest border and blue skies above

Why monitor your lake?

  • Regular monitoring tracks water quality and natural habitat health, helping conservation efforts to improve fish, wildlife, and native plants.

  • Spot warning signs early allowing your community to take rapid action before problems like invasive plants or excess nutrients lead to deeper issues.

    • The data you collect is publicly shared in the MiCorps Data Exchange.

    • It is actively used by researchers, local communities, and state agencies (like the DNR and EGLE) to protect and manage Michigan's waters.

    • This data can also be used by your own lake association to inform action and management decisions.

woman in green life jacket paddles orange river kayak on still river with sunshine and green trees around her

What Can You Monitor?

Basic Parameters

  • Measure water clarity (Secchi Disk)

  • Track Spring + Summer phosphorus levels

  • Assess shoreline health

  • Watch for exotic aquatic plants.

Advanced Parameters

  • Track dissolved oxygen and temperature

  • Measure algae levels (Chlorophyll-a)

  • Map aquatic plant life

black cormorant bird spreads and dries its wings while sitting on the stern of a pale yellow row boat floating in a lake with mist rising

Interested in learning more?
Contact us!

We can help you through every step of the process from enrollment and sign-up, to training and data collection!

How to get involved

  1. Review Your Options: Decide what parameters you want to monitor based on your lake's needs and deadlines.

  2. Create a MiCorps Account: Lead Volunteers select the parameters, manage payments, and receive all equipment. Assisting Volunteers help collect the physical data on the water.

  3. Enroll Your Lake: Select your lake and the parameters you wish to track.

  4. Pay Enrollment Fees: There is a small fee per parameter to cover supplies and lab analysis (ranging from $30 to $250).

  5. Get Trained: Training is required for new volunteers to ensure high-quality data collection.