Manistee River Water Quality Monitoring

The Fall Volunteer Water Quality monitoring project on the Upper Manistee River will be held on October 1st, 2011.  We will meet at the Kalkaska Eagles’ patio (M-72 just west of the river) at 9 am and then return to Eagles for a light grilled lunch.

The use of river bug surveys to gauge water quality is widely accepted within the scientific community and the Michigan Clean Water Corps (MiCorps) has developed a well designed protocol for evaluating bodies such as the Manistee River. The amount and variety of bottom dwelling river critters provide one of the best indicators of water quality.

The volunteer sampling process is the only tool available that provides long term reliable data concerning the health of our river.   There is nothing else.  It is up to us to protect the river and to maintain a defensible database of scientifically recognized information. The survey teams are led by knowledgeable and trained leaders who take the time to answer questions and ensure high quality results.  This is a great project for families and we especially welcome kids (good eyes!).

The information gained through the volunteer monitoring process is then available to agencies such as the MDNRE for scientific evaluation and resource decision-making.

Please call Bob Thorsen (248) 318 5220 or email: bthorsen@paulyoungtu.org if you would like to volunteer or have any questions.