ICLSP to host training for volunteer lake monitors

By Vicki Browne
Iron County Lakes and Streams Partnership

Iron County Lakes and Streams Partnership will host a Michigan Clean Water Corps training day for the Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program on Saturday, May 18. 

The one-day training runs from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Fortune Lake Lutheran Camp located at 138 Fortune Lake Camp Rd. in Crystal Falls. The event is free and lunch will be provided; however, pre-registration is required. This training is open to everyone including residents and U.P. recreationalists. 

CLMP volunteers monitor water quality, invasive species and habitat conditions at their favorite lake. Volunteers receive detailed instructions, training and equipment. The data volunteers collect are used by state agencies, researchers, and local lake communities to better understand Michigan’s 11,000 inland lakes. 

CLMP instructors teach and support volunteers as they monitor indicators of water quality and document changes over time. Participating in CLMP provides an opportunity to connect more deeply with the lakes we love. 

In Iron County volunteers monitored 22 lakes in 2023. Lake Mary has been monitored the longest, since 2006. The Iron County Lakes and Streams Partnership is a strong supporter of CLMP. Each lake in Iron County is unique. Whether small, large, clear, weedy, popular, remote, untouched or well-developed, every lake is special. Gathering data about lake health is interesting and valuable work for understanding current conditions, changes and trends.

Training is required for new volunteers, and experienced volunteers are always welcome. Anyone interested in learning more about CLMP is invited to participate regardless of their intent to enroll a lake and conduct monitoring during the current year. 

The MiCorps Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program is sponsored by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy and is administered in partnership with MSU Extension, the Michigan Lakes and Streams Association and the Huron River Watershed Council.

For more information about lake monitoring, prior years’ lake reports and other training opportunities, visit the MiCorps website: micorps.net/about.

To register for the May 18 training at Fortune Lake Lutheran Camp, interested parties should send an email with their name, preferred email address, favorite lake, and the names and contact information for additional participants to iclakesandstreamspartnership@gmail.com. 

Questions about the program can be directed to Erick Elgin (elgineri@msu.edu, 218-340-5731) or Jean Roth (jean.roth@mymlsa.org).