Become a Water Quality Monitor

Help protect our three rivers

Why do you monitor water quality?

In 2006, Milwaukee Riverkeeper established a network of trained citizen-science volunteers who monitor streams and rivers throughout the Milwaukee River Basin during the months of May through October. Our volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Program is part of the statewide Water Action Volunteers (WAV) Stream Monitoring Program managed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) and University of Wisconsin-Extension (UWEX).

Monitoring sites are located within the three major watersheds and corresponding subwatersheds of the Milwaukee River Basin:

  1. Milwaukee River Watershed: North Branch Milwaukee River Subwatershed, East and West Branch Milwaukee River Subwatershed, Cedar Creek Subwatershed, and South Branch Milwaukee River Subwatershed
  2. Menomonee River Watershed
  3. Kinnickinnic River Watershed

Our volunteer water quality monitors aid in keeping tabs on our water quality throughout the year and serve as additional “eyes, ears and noses” in the field. Our volunteer water quality monitors help recognize and identify questionable practices, erosion control violations, illicit discharges, and more. Our volunteer water quality monitoring program builds on the WDNR’s and UWEX’s efforts to improve the quality and quantity of citizen science data used to monitor the health of our waterways.

What do volunteer Water Quality Monitors do?

Volunteer water quality monitors are trained at two levels of water quality monitoring based on the Water Action Volunteers Stream Monitoring Program protocol created by WDNR and UWEX. Volunteers begin at Level I and then graduate to Level II.

Level I volunteers learn to monitor dissolved oxygen (DO), air and water temperature, turbidity, stream flow, and periodically assess macroinvertebrate populations and stream habitat and channel conditions.

Level II monitors use calibrated sensors to measure DO, water acidity (pH), specific conductivity (the ability of water to conduct an electrical current), and water temperature. In addition, Level II monitors deploy automated thermistors, which measure water temperature on an hourly basis throughout the monitoring season. When necessary, Level II monitors collect and send water samples to the State Lab of Hygiene in Madison, WI to be tested for phosphorus levels.

All water quality monitors enter data into the WDNR’s “SWIMS” database. The database is linked to the WDNR website and the Surface Water Data Viewer online mapping tool for the public and WDNR staff to use. Such access encourages data sharing among public and private groups, aids in water quality education, and helps WDNR staff make data-driven management decisions.

Become a Water Quality Monitor

We appreciate your interest in our program! To sign up to participate in this program click on an available site (green icon) on the map below. Follow the sign up link and complete the form. There is no experience required to become a baseline water quality monitor. However, there is a required in-person training on Saturday, May 4th.

If you have any additional questions, please email our Water Quality Assistant.