The New England Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring programs share a history of regional collaboration that predates the establishment of the CSREES NIWQP and continues today.
The New England Regional Monitoring Collaborative (NERMC) 
was formed by the New England Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring programs and coordinates the delivery of training and related services regionally. NERMC developed assessment tools that give water quality monitoring and watershed groups throughout New England the "big picture" and the "bottom line" on the ecological integrity of their watersheds and expand upon conventional water monitoring techniques. New Englanders, including state and regional agency representatives, local conservation organizations, and volunteer water quality coordinators and monitors, who participate in NERMC's train-the-trainer workshops apply their learning by teaching others and conducting assessments in their home watersheds.
In
2005, NERMC brought together federal, state, and volunteer water quality
monitoring partners at the New England Monitoring Summit to develop a sustainable
support system for volunteer monitoring. Following the summit, a final
report 
outlined
recommendations to ensure adequate resources and technical support to sustain
and expand volunteer water quality monitoring efforts in New England.
The Lake Education and Action Project, LEAP, funded by CSREES NIWQP has allowed UMaine Cooperative Extension to adapt volunteer water quality monitoring programs from New Hampshire and Vermont. UMaine adopted the outreach training and watershed erosion survey method using training materials from UNH's "following the flow" survey. A UMaine "following the flow" erosion survey for the Narrow Lakes created partnerships with the local town Soil and Water Conservation District. These partners plan to apply for U.S. EPA funding to remediate the 120 eroding sites documented in the survey. In addition, UMaine has adopted UVM's Watershed Alliance methods to partner with area schools.
The New Hampshire Lakes Lay Monitoring (LLMP) is dedicated to preservation and sound management of lakes through citizen-based monitoring and research. Begun at UNH over two decades ago as one of the first citizen monitoring programs, the LLMP has been directly involved in the initiation and expansion of volunteer programs in 24 states and 11 countries. The first lake lay monitoring program in Germany was based on the NH LLMP. Through its integration of research, outreach and teaching, the LLMP provides valuable data on the lakes of New Hampshire, broad community service and a unique opportunity for hands-on learning and employment of students. The program continues to receive local and national recognition as one of the leading lake monitoring programs in the country. The LLMP is administered jointly through the Cooperative Extension and the Center for Freshwater Biology at UNH.
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