Water Quality Monitoring Program
Friends of
Milwaukee’s Rivers is working to establish a watershed-wide
network of trained citizen volunteers who monitor streams and
rivers, collecting information in a consistent and useable
format. In 2005, we assessed the status of past citizen
monitoring activities within the watershed. In 2006, we trained
12 advanced water quality monitors (Level II) and 33 Water
Action Volunteers (Level I) to monitor water quality in four
counties of the Milwaukee River Basin.
Level II volunteers
learned how to monitor water quality using WDNR equipment and
protocols, becoming certified to monitor pH, dissolved oxygen
(DO), turbidity, and temperature (using automated thermistors).
Level I volunteers
measure DO, temperature, turbidity, flow, and macroinvertebrates
and do periodic stream assessments. Volunteers monitor on at
least a monthly basis, and volunteer data is entered into either
the WDNR database to be used to monitor the health of our
rivers.
2006 Monitoring Results
The Level II Pilot Program ended September 30th, 2006, and data
was collected for 24 sites by 12 volunteers. Twenty thermistors
were deployed. Rough temperature data suggests two potential
streams for coldwater trout introductions (Mole Creek and
Riveredge Creek). Other data is still being analyzed. Several
volunteers’ data demonstrates negative effects of dams on water
quality in Grafton (2 dams), Menomonee Falls, Milwaukee (Estabrook),
West Bend, and Mequon (Pigeon Creek). Data is being collected at
24 different stream sites by our 33 Level I WAV volunteers.
Level I and II volunteers have both identified problem
areas/places of concern in the Basin (e.g. algal outbreaks, poor
erosion controls, cows in the stream, etc.), and FMR has
addressed these concerns or referred to WDNR staff.
Common problems seen on the river
FMR plans to continue
working with citizen volunteers to evaluate our existing
programs, to train some of our Level I volunteers to become
Level II volunteers next year, and to train additional
volunteers to keep our program growing to fully meet the demand.
Ultimately, FMR hopes to build on DNR’s efforts to improve the
quality and quantity of citizen-collected data that is used to
monitor the health of our waterways.
FMR is also involved
in “special” monitoring projects, such as monitoring for the
invasive rusty crayfish in our waterways.
Crayfish
monitoring
Interested in citizen water quality
monitoring?? Contact Cheryl at
cheryl_nenn@mkeriverkeeper.org or (414) 287-0207 ext. 29
