On Saturday, May 10th and Thursday, May 15th, get outdoors with the Flint River Watershed Coalition for the spring season of our volunteer water quality monitoring program. Water Quality Monitoring is a vital tool that helps us assess the health of the Flint River and our surrounding waterways.

Sample and identify “benthics” also known as macroinvertebrates, such as caddis fly larva, dragonfly larva, and snails. It’s a fun reason to get to “play” in the Flint River. Testing occurs at 35 sites across Genesee & Lapeer counties (as well as a few others), and volunteers are needed to help ensure that all 35 sites are assessed. The data collected is used by the Flint River Watershed Coalition as well as local and state agencies to protect our watershed.

New monitors can be trained at on site by experienced monitors that will explain the monitoring process on an easy step-by-step basis, from conducting habitat assessments to collecting and identifying creek critters. Monitoring samples are evaluated in one of our two labs in Genesee and Lapeer counties.

Returning Genesee and Lapeer county monitors should contact Jaime Welch to arrange your monitoring site, date, and supplies. New volunteers, please call to be paired with an experienced monitor at a site on the Flint River. Call 810-767-7140 or email jwelch@flintriver.org.

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