Michigan seeks recommendation on what water bodies to monitor

Where should the government monitor Michigan's water bodies?

That's the question the state is asking residents as it seeks to more effectively deploy water quality monitoring strategies. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy put out an alert seeking recommendations last week. 

Its aim is to come up with a strategy for 2024. Residents with any ideas about where the state should monitor can fill out a request form here.

The state already has some spots it will track, keeping to its monitoring schedule outlined in its five-year rotating watershed systems plan. Next year, it will focus on the Clinton watershed in Metro Detroit, the Kalamazoo and lower Grand watershed on the west side of the state, and four others in northern Michigan.

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There are also 10 watersheds in the eastern Upper Peninsula that will be monitored. You can see the map here.

There are four goals the state is focusing on in monitoring:

  • Assessing the current status and condition of Michigan waters
  • Measuring water quality trends
  • Evaluating the effectiveness of the state's plan
  • Identifying new and emerging issues