The MiCorps Monitor newsletter is a semiannual publication of the Michigan Clean Water Corps (MiCorps), the state's volunteer monitoring program. This publication is aimed at facilitating the exchange of information and ideas among volunteer monitoring program leaders, volunteers, and resource professionals on volunteer monitoring issues specific to Michigan.

Reprinting material is encouraged, but we request that you notify the editor of your intentions, give credit to The MiCorps Monitor, and send a copy of your final publication to the editor.

The mission of the Michigan Clean Water Corps (MiCorps) is to network and expand volunteer water quality monitoring organizations statewide for the purpose of collecting, sharing and using reliable data; educate and inform the public about water quality issuse; and foster water resources stewardship to facilitate the preservation and protection of Michigan's water resources.

For more information about MiCorps, please visit www.micorps.net/about.html.

Volunteer monitoring organizations that meet quality assurance and operating procedure criteria are eligible to become MiCorps member organizations. MiCorps members represent a select group of monitoring programs in Michigan and receive a variety of benefits, including permission to enter data into the online database, which can be accessed by the monitoring community and the general public. The data will be used by the DEQ as a screening tool and as supplemental data for its water resources management programs. If you are interested in registering your organization as a MiCorps member or viewing current MiCorps members, please visit the registration page.

The Great Lakes Commission, in partnership with the Huron River Watershed Council, was contracted by the DEQ to develop, implement and administer MiCorps under the direction of DEQ and with advice from a steering committee. The program began in fall 2004 and is funded through August 2009. MiCorps staff also are partnering with the Michigan Lake and Stream Associations and Michigan State University to administer the Cooperative Lakes Monitoring program.

Ralph Bednarz
MiCorps Program Officer
Water Division, Inland Lakes and Remedial Action Unit
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
P.O. Box 30273
Lansing, Michigan 48909-7773
Ph: 517-335-4211
Email: bednarzr@michigan.gov

Paul Steen
MiCorps Program Manager
Huron River Watershed Council
1100 N. Main Street
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104
Ph: 734-769-5123 x14
Email: psteen@hrwc.org

Laura Kaminski
MiCorps Program Administrator
Great Lakes Commission
2805 South Industrial Hwy.
Suite 100
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104
Ph: 734-971-9135
Email: laurak@glc.org