WQ Workshops

Water Quality Training and Certification Process

Lake Stewards of Maine (LSM) monitors a broad range of environmental indicators that affect the health of Maine Lakes. We have over 500 trained water quality (WQ) volunteers who collect quality scientific data. Their monitoring data and observations provide an extremely valuable resource for lake protection and a vital first-hand account of the evolving conditions of Maine’s Lakes and Ponds.

LSM trains and certifies volunteers to collect scientific water quality data of the highest quality. Each volunteer participates in an initial training workshop and is re-certified on a regular basis. All WQ volunteer monitors use a Secchi disk and view scope to measure water clarity, some also use dissolved oxygen (DO) meters to assist us in assessing lake health. Volunteers are also trained and certified to collect other types of water quality information, including Phosphorous and Chlorophyll-α.

Volunteers need to collect data approximately every two weeks between May and October to help assess lake health. This data is submitted at the end of the season — mailed to us by November 1st. LSM staff review the data and enter any that has not already been entered digitally. The data is compiled and sent to the Maine DEP, which then creates the individual lake reports, which are published in the spring.

We host the data quality assurance reviewed data on our Lakes of Maine website.

Unreviewed data is hosted on our live data portal.

 

Criteria for Becoming a Volunteer Water Quality Monitor

Volunteer water quality monitors are accepted into the program with the following provisions, many of which are required for Quality Assurance and Quality Control purposes:

  • The number of volunteers who monitor water quality on an individual lake is generally limited by the size of the body of water. If a lake is already being monitored, a new volunteer may be trained as an “alternate”, or in some cases, to partner with the existing volunteer. On large, multiple-basin lakes, it is often beneficial to have several volunteers involved. Please contact the LSM office if you have questions about whether or not there is a need for additional volunteers on your lake of interest.
  • Volunteers must watch instructional videos and complete several quizzes related to the training format.
  • Volunteers must attend training and certification workshop before collecting and submitting data. Workshops are offered in the spring through summer.
  • LSM provides each lake with one Secchi disk with calibrated tape and a viewing scope. Volunteers who are monitoring that lake are expected to maintain the equipment and to return it to the LSM if they leave the program, or pass it along to their replacement monitor, if one is available. LSM does not provide DO meters but has a meter that can be rented if a person or lake association is in-between meters (supply chain issues have slowed the delivery of meters for up to a year before).
  • Volunteers should plan on taking Secchi disk transparency readings at least twice monthly (approximately every two weeks) between May and October, and be able to make a multiple-year commitment to monitoring. DO readings need to be taken at least once each month.
  • Secchi volunteers must attend an in-person re-certification workshop at least once every three years, unless they test annually with the online Secchi Simulator.  If monitors test annually with the online Secchi Simulator, then they only need to get recertified in person every 6 years. DO monitors require annual recertification.
  • Volunteer monitors must have access to a boat, a strong anchor, and — in most cases — a motor. Secchi disk readings and DO readings are generally taken at the deepest point in the lake basin.

Quick Links

2023 New Monitor and Recertification

In 2022, we had a very successful summer of training over 60 new monitors and recertifying many other, all in-person. This summer we will again partner with the Maine DEP to recertify dozens of volunteers around the state. We appreciate the travel as well as all of the work our volunteers perform. A special thank you to the local boat hosts who volunteer their time and gas, and enable us to perform regional trainings in addition to the training on Lake Auburn. The boat host program is vital to the success of ensuring all volunteers have the ability to become recertified.

General Guidance

For New Water Quality Monitors

For both new Secchi Water Transparency Monitors and new Secchi Water Transparency & Dissolved Oxygen Monitors, if you are interested in getting involved, please contact us using the form on this page. We offer many workshop sessions including some that may be in your area.

If you are interested in becoming a DO monitor, you must own or have access to a meter. That meter must also be certified. We send out information about annual certification of meters —  our Meterfest event — starting every March.

It is highly recommended that if there is a monitor currently on your waterbody that you go out with them to see what the experience is like.

For Existing Water Quality Monitors

Thank you for come back and collecting another summer of WQ data! Look for an email with information about summer trainings, and feel free to contact Jonnie at the office, 207-783-7733, to sign up for a 2023 summer recertification workshop. We ask that you please send us any completed data forms at least twice this season; we ask that you aim for June 30 and October 1st. If you have any questions, please contact us.

To register…

  • As a completely new volunteer, please contact us using the form on this page. We will contact you by email with information about the trainings and you will need to attend one of the sessions that is labeled as “New and Recert”.
  • As a current Secchi volunteer who would like to become certified in Dissolved Oxygen monitoring, please contact us at the LSM office at stewards@lakestewardsme.org, or call to speak with Jonnie at 207-783-7733. You will need to attend one of the sessions that is labeled as “New and Recert”.
  • For current monitors who needs to participate in recertification, please contact us at the LSM office at stewards@lakestewardsme.org, or call to speak with Jonnie at 207-783-7733.
     

Summer 2023 Schedule

PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A DRAFT SCHEDULE AND SUBJECT TO CHANGES BASED UPON PARTICIPATION NUMBERS.

WaterbodyCountyNew / RecertTraining TypeDateTime
China LakeKennebeckRecertificationAdvanced2023-04-2509:00
Sebago LakeCumberlandRecertificationAdvanced2023-05-1209:00
Sebago LakeCumberlandRecertificationAdvanced2023-05-1209:00
WatchicCumberlandRecertificationSecchi and DO2023-05-1909:00
Crescent (Rattlesnake) Lake (large)CumberlandRecertificationSecchi and DO2023-05-2209:00
Biscay PondLincolnNew & RecertSecchi and DO2023-05-2413:00
AuburnAndroscogginNew & RecertSecchi and DO2023-05-2510:00
Long Pond (Belgrade)KennebecRecertificationSecchi and DO2023-06-058:00
Beech Hill PondHancockRecertificationSecchi and DO2023-06-0713:00
Bauneg BegYorkRecertificationSecchi Only2023-06-0909:00
Highland Lake (Windham)CumberlandNew & RecertSecchi and DO2023-06-1210:00
Highland Lake (Windham)CumberlandNew & RecertSecchi and DO2023-06-1212:00
Highland Lake (Windham)CumberlandNew & RecertSecchi and DO2023-06-1214:00
Washington PondKnoxRecertificationSecchi and DO2023-06-1409:00
PennesseewasseeOxfordRecertificationSecchi and DO2023-06-1509:00
Wilson (Acton)YorkRecertificationSecchi and DO2023-06-1610:00
Ellis (Roxbury, Silver)OxfordRecertificationSecchi and DO2023-06-1909:00
MegunticookKnoxNew & RecertSecchi and DO2023-06-2010:00
PushawPenobscotRecertificationSecchi and DO2023-06-2110:00
Rangely areaFranklinNew & RecertSecchi and DO2023-06-2110:00 AM
Toddy PondHancockNew & RecertDEP Led – Secchi2023-06-2411:00
Toddy PondHancockNew & RecertDEP Led – DO/Temp2023-06-2412:30
Toddy PondHancockNew & RecertDEP Led – Advanced/Any2023-06-2414:00
Auburn CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHERAndroscogginNew & RecertSecchi and DOCANCELLED 2023-06-2610:00
Nickerson LakeAroostookNew & RecertSecchi and DO2023-06-2913:00
Cross LakeAroostookNew & RecertSecchi and DO2023-06-3009:00
Georges PondHancockRecertificationSecchi and DO2023-07-0509:00
Wilson (Wilton)FranklinRecertificationSecchi Only2023-07-0610:00
Wilson (Wilton)FranklinRecertificationSecchi and DO2023-07-0611:30
Abrams PondHancockNew & RecertDEP Led – Advanced2023-07-08TBD
Crescent LakeCumberlandRecertificationSecchi and DO2023-07-1009:00
Green Lake (Ellsworth)HancockNew & RecertSecchi and DO2023-07-1110:00
LewyWashingtonNew & RecertSecchi and DO2023-07-1115:00
WebbFranklinRecertificationSecchi and DO2023-07-1210:00
Kezar lakeOxfordNew & RecertSecchi and DO2023-07-1309:00
AuburnAndroscogginNew & RecertSecchi and DO2023-07-1710:00
TogusKennebecRecertificationSecchi and DO2023-07-1810:00
Lower Wilson (Greenville)PiscataquisNew & RecertSecchi and DO2023-07-1911:00
AuburnAndroscogginNew & RecertSecchi Only2023-07-2510:00
AuburnAndroscogginNew & RecertSecchi and DO2023-07-2513:30
Annabessacook –  CANCELED
KennebecRecertificationSecchi and DO2023-07-2509:00
AuburnAndroscogginNew & RecertSecchi and DO2023-08-0710:00

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us or reach out to Tristan.

Quick Links

LSM staff will be conducting water-quality-focused discussion sessions via Zoom. These check-in sessions are intended to be a way for volunteers to discuss any questions or issues they may have pertaining to their lake or monitoring work. For those who have insufficient bandwidth for online video conferencing, there is an option to call in (phone information will be included in your registration confirmation email). These sessions will be informal and will provide an opportunity for participants to speak directly with LSM staff about concerns, observed phenomena, or other broader water quality topics.

A few examples of the topics that may be discussed include, but are not limited to:

  • Observations of recent conditions on/in a lake
  • Problems or questions regarding volunteer monitoring equipment
  • Any issues with quality assurance
  • Discussion/interpretation of recently collected (or historical) lake data
  • Climate change
  • Changing technologies and monitoring methods
  • Any unusual phenomena recently observed
  • Changes in protocol due to the pandemic and other broader social issues as it relates to lake monitoring and science.

You are welcome to attend as many of the sessions as you like throughout the year. The sessions are generally scheduled to take place from 10-11:30 AM. Moderators will have the option to continue individual sessions beyond this point or conclude earlier depending on participant interest. In addition, we will make the decision to offer additional sessions if there is a specific group interested in meeting or an additional time that will suit a person’s schedule. If you are interested in this, please send an email to stewards@lakestewardsME.org. We hope to see you there!

Water Quality Check-In Sessions Calendar

DateTimeRegistration Link
March 15th10:00 AMRegister
April 11th10:00 AMRegister
May 2nd11:00 AMRegister
May 16th10:00 AMRegister
May 31st6:00 PMRegister
June 15th10:00 AMRegister 
July 1st (Saturday)9:00 AMRegister
July 18th10:00 AMRegister
July 28th10:00 AMRegister
August 10th10:00 AMRegister
September 13th1:00 PMRegister
September 28th9:00 AMRegister
October 19th10:00 AMRegister
November 8th1:00 PMRegister
December 7th10:00 AMRegister

 

Please be sure to pre-register for each session you are planning to attend9

Scroll to Top