The University of Olivet awarded grant to continue collaborative program
The University of Olivet (UOlivet), in partnership with the Eaton Conservation District (ECD), was recently awarded a maintenance grant of $2,964 for sustaining the activities of the Eaton County Collaborative Stream Monitoring Program. The program engages UOlivet students and community scientists in water quality monitoring in the Upper Thornapple River watershed, part of the large Grand River watershed that eventually flows to Lake Michigan.
- The public is invited to join the stream monitoring program events this spring. Macroinvertebrate Community Collection Days will be held on Friday, May 3 and Friday, May 10 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Community ID Day is Friday, May 17 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
All events meet at The University of Olivet. To register, email Val Reisen at ECD.
The annual program samples sites for macroinvertebrates (aquatic larval stage insects and other species) in the Thornapple watershed across Eaton County each spring and fall. The number and variety of macroinvertebrates collected at each site can indicate overall stream health and water quality. The program contributes data to a statewide database that provides important information to conservation districts and other natural resource organizations in watershed planning and management efforts.
The Michigan Clean Water Corps (MiCorps) Volunteer Stream Monitoring Program provides grants to enable local governments and nonprofits to conduct volunteer-based water quality and stream habitat monitoring through benthic macroinvertebrate surveys and habitat assessments. To learn more about MiCorps Volunteer Stream Monitoring Program, visit micorps.net.