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 assess 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

2022 New Monitor and Recertification

We had a very successful summer training over 60 new monitors and recertifying many other, all in-person. This summer we again partnered 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 another fantastic summer WQ monitors! Please remember to postmark all datasheets from 2022 summer to us by November 1st. If you have any questions, please contact us.

Summer 2023 Schedule

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

No workshops have been designated at this time.

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

Sign up for sessions here in the future

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! Event Calendar

Water Quality Check-In Sessions Calendar

Date Time Registration Link
March 15th 10:00 AM Register
April 11th 10:00 AM Register
May 2nd 11:00 AM Register
May 16th 10:00 AM Register
May 30th 10:00 AM Register
June 15th 10:00 AM Register
July 12th 10:00 AM Register
July 28th 10:00 AM Register
August 10th 10:00 AM Register
August 29th 10:00 AM Register
September 13th 11:00 AM Register
September 28th 2:00 PM Register
October 19th 10:00 AM Register
November 8th 1:00 PM Register
December 7th 10:00 AM Register

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

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