VSMP Overview

microscope work pic VSMP grew out of efforts and collaboration by the WaterShed Partners in 1998. Several stakeholders met to discuss the need for better coordination to support, strengthen, and expand volunteer stream monitoring efforts in the Twin Cities region. Many volunteers were already monitoring area streams, but lacked a cohesive network that could increase the value of volunteers' work by promoting consistent methods, quality data, and a centralized data management system. A priority for VSMP is to ensure that data are used to improve decision-making and lead to community action.

In 1999 the first VSMP steering committee was formed. In November of that year, a Strategic Plan was produced outlining the needs, goals, and visions for coordinating volunteer stream monitoring in the seven county metro area.

Today, many of the same partners including state and local government, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations, are involved in the ongoing implementation of that plan.

Monitoring

Across the nation, citizens have increasingly identified volunteer stream monitoring as an engaging and effective way to evaluate the health of water resources in their communities. Monitoring involves repeated visits to the same site to take measurements that can be compared over time. Monitoring activities can range widely, depending on volunteers' interests and skill levels. A monitoring program may include following activities:

Physical habitat monitoring, such as stream width or stream flow.

Biological monitoring, through collecting and identifying bottom dwelling water insects and other benthic macroinvertebrates.

Chemical monitoring, for such measures as pH, dissolved oxygen, or nutrients.

Volunteer Stream Monitoring Partnership

Guide to Aquatic Invertebrates of the Upper Midwest