Lake Monitor Training

Training is required for new program participants and anyone signing up for a new parameter. It is also beneficial for people looking for a refresher or those curious about how CLMP may help protect their favorite lake. Important: Attending training is not the same as enrolling your lake in the CLMP. Visit Become a Volunteer to enroll.

2024 Training Options (Concluded for 2024, see 2024 Recorded Training Presentations below for reference)

Option 1: In-person Training, Muskegon, April 26 and 27, 2024

CLMP in-person training took place at the Michigan Lakes and Streams Association (MLSA) 2024 Annual Conference at the VanDyk Mortgage Convention Center in Muskegon, MI.

Option 2: In-person Training, Crystal Falls, May 18, 2024

We provided a one-day in-person training hosted by the Iron County Lakes and Streams Partnership and Invasive Species Control Coalition of Watersmeet in Crystal Falls, Iron County, Michigan.

Option 3: Online Training Day, April 30, 2024

Online training took place April 30, 2024. Recordings of each session are posted below.

2024 Recorded Training Presentations

Welcome and Introduction to Lake Monitoring
Secchi Disk Transparency
Total Phosphorus – Spring and Summer
Chlorophyll (algae)
Dissolved Oxygen and Temperature
Score the Shore
Exotic Aquatic Plant Watch
Aquatic Plant Mapping
2024 CLMP Midsummer Check-in

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Quick Monitoring Protocols

Secchi Disk Transparency

In the Michigan Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program, volunteers take secchi disk measurements to determine the transparency of a lake. This video reminds CLMP volunteers of the steps needed to take a good quality transparency measurement.

Total Phosphorus

In the Michigan Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program, volunteers sample total phosphorus to determine the health of a lake. This video reminds CLMP volunteers of the steps needed to take a phosphorus sample and how to turn it in.

Chlorophyll-a

In the Michigan Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program, volunteers sample chlorophyll to determine the health of a lake. This video reminds CLMP volunteers of the steps needed to take a chlorophyll water sample and how to filter it.

Exotic Aquatic Plant Watch – Early Detection Monitoring

Invasive aquatic plants can be bad news for your lake, as high densities of these unwanted species can negatively affect fish populations and reduce recreational use. In this short video, staff from the MiCorps Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program (CLMP) and Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) introduce and describe the Exotic Aquatic Plant Watch (EAPW). This video demonstrates how lake volunteers can identify, monitor, and map four nuisance aquatic plant species. Early detection, with the help of the EAPW, can lead to a rapid response which is critical to preventing or managing invasions in your lake.

 Score the Shore – Lakeshore Habitat Assessment

In the Michigan Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program, volunteers conduct habitat assessments of the lake shore. This video goes over the process of how to do the Score the Shore study and gives many examples of issues that volunteers will run into.