Cooperative Extension sponsored or co-sponsored Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Programs

Link to National Water Quality Program website

Cooperative Extension Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Programs

When we first started this project we identified 27 volunteer water quality monitoring programs sponsored, co-sponsored or affiliated with Cooperative Extension in the United States and its territories. As of 2012, there are more than 55! We are always looking for programs we have missed and have had help from people across the country to find 'new' programs. We identify below which programs are sponsored or co-sponsored by Cooperative Extension and which are affiliated in other ways -- such as by providing technical assistance with trainings, educational materials, equipment, or meeting space for volunteer monitoring events.

The map above shows where and to what extent Cooperative Extension is involved in volunteer water quality monitoring across the nation.

The first of these programs began in 1978, the most recent in 2012. In parentheses next to each program's name is the year that the program began. Program volunteers are monitoring a wide range of aquatic habitats including rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, wetlands, estuaries, and drinking water wells.

In the directory that follows, we've tried our best to keep the contact information current. Many programs have websites and we have created links to these sites for your convenience. We encourage you to explore the wide range of Extension volunteer monitoring programs and contact those that interest you. All our coordinators are more than happy to share their expertise and enthusiasm with you! For programs that are CE-affliated, contacts listed are usually Extension staff who work with the program, thus are generally not the program coordinators.

We now have a listing of Master Naturalist and Master Watershed Steward Programs in the U.S., many of which are sponsored or co-sponsored by Extension and which are invovled with volunteer monitoring efforts locally. view list of Master Naturalist Programs >>

Alabama	Arizona
Alabama Water Watch (1992) Bill Deutsch Auburn University 250 Upchurch Hall Auburn AL 36849-5419 Phone (toll free): 1-888-844-4785 Fax: 334-844-3666 awwprog@auburn.edu	NEMO Wet/Dry (2007) Dr. Phil Guertin Chair, Watershed Management School of Natural Resources University of Arizona BioSciences East Tucson, AZ 85721-2036 Phone: 520-621-1723 Fax: 520-621-8801 phil@nexus.srnr.arizona.edu Channah Rock Water Quality Specialist University of Arizona 37860 W. Smith-Enke Rd Maricopa, AZ 85138 Phone: 520-381-2258 channah@ag.arizona.edu
Arizona	California
Private Well Monitoring Karen Pizzuto University of Arizona Cooperative Extension of Yavapai County 500 S. Marina PO Box 388 Prescott, AZ 86302 Phone: 928-445-6590 x223 kpizzuto@cals.arizona.edu	Tahoe-Truckee Snapshot Day (2001) Mary Kay Wagner Nevada Divison of Environmental Protection 901 S. Stewart St., Ste 4001 Carson City, NV 89701-5249 Phone: (775) 687-9454 mkwagner@ndep.nv.gov Susie Kocher Natural Resources Advisor, RPF #2874 UC Cooperative Extension - El Dorado County 1061 3rd Street South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150 Phone: (530) 542-2571 sdkocher@ucdavis.edu
Colorado	Florida
North Fork Volunteer Monitoring Project (2001) Anna Santo NFRIA-WSERC Conservation Center PO Box 1612 204 Poplar Avenue Paonia, CO 81428 Phone: (970) 527-5307 anna@theconservationcenter.org	Florida Lakewatch Mark Hoyer Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 7922 NW 71st Street Gainesville, FL 32653 Phone: (352) 392-4817 Fax: (352) 392-4902 mvhoyer@ufl.edu Florida LakeWatch in Volusia County David Griffis Cooperative Extension Director University of Florida Extension Service Volusia County Agricultural Center 3100 E. New York Ave. DeLand, FL 32724 Phone: (386) 822-5778 DeLand (386) 257-6012 Daytona Beach (386) 423-3368 New Smyrna Beach dgriffis@co.volusia.fl.us
Georgia	Georgia
Coastal Adopt-a-Wetland Shelly Krueger Marine Extension Service 20 Ocean Science Circle Savannah, GA 31411 Phone: (912) 598-2348 x202 Fax: (912) 598-2302 krueger@uga.edu	Georgia Adopt-A-Stream (1992) Tara Muenz and Allison Hughes Environmental Protection Division 4220 International Parkway, Suite 101 Atlanta, GA 30354 Phone: (404) 675-6240 Fax: (404) 675-6245 aas@gaepd.org
Idaho	Indiana
Pacific NW Water Quality Monitoring Program (1999) Bob Simmons County Director and Water Resources Faculty 303 N 4th St Shelton, WA 98584 Phone: (360) 427-9670 ext 690 simmons@wsu.edu	Hoosier Riverwatch (1996) Lisa Ritter-McMahan Indiana DNR-Div of Fish & Wildlife Fort Harrison State Park-NREC 5785 Glenn Road Indianapolis IN 46216-1066 Phone: (317) 541-0617 Fax: (317) 562-0790 riverwatch@dnr.in.gov
Iowa	Kansas
IOWATER (1998) Mary Skopec 109 Trowbridge Hall Iowa City IA 52242 Phone: (319) 335-1579 mary.skopec@dnr.iowa.gov	Private well monitoring (1994) Daniel Devlin Kansas State University 2011B Throckmorton Hall Manhattan KS 66506 Phone: (785) 532-0393 Fax: (785) 532-6315 ddevlin@oznet.ksu.edu
Kentucky	Kentucky
Kentucky Water Watch (1984) JoAnn Palmer DEP Divison of Water 200 Fair Oaks Lane, Fourth Floor Frankfort, KY, 40601 Phone: 800-928-0045 JoAnn.Palmer@ky.gov	Watershed Watch (1997) JoAnn Palmer DEP Division of Water 200 Fair Oaks Lane, Fourth Floor Frankfort, KY, 40601 Phone: 800-928-0045 JoAnn.Palmer@ky.gov
Kentucky	Maine
Friends of Wolf Run Inc. Ken Cooke 639 Cardinal Lane Lexington KY 40503 Phone: (859) 276-1253 friend@wolfrunwater.org	Maine Watershed Stewards (1996) Laura Wilson 495 College Ave Orono ME 04473 Phone: (207) 581-2971 laura.wilson@maine.edu
Maine	Maine
Maine Healthy Beaches Program (2003) Keri Lindberg University of Maine Cooperative Extension / Sea Grant 377 Manktown Rd Waldoboro, ME 04572 Phone: (207) 832-0343 klindberg@umext.maine.edu	Signs of the Seasons: A Maine Phenology Program (2010) Esperanza Stancioff, Climate Change Educator University of Maine Cooperative Extension/Maine Sea Grant 377 Manktown Rd Waldoboro, ME 04572 Phone: (207) 832-0343 esp@maine.edu
Massachusetts	Michigan
Martha's Vineyard Pond Monitoring Sheri Caseau Martha's Vineyard Commission PO Box 1447 Oak Bluffs, MA 02557 Phone: (508) 693-3453 x 17 caseau@mvcommission.org	Michigan Clean Water Corps (MiCorps) (2003) Bill Dimond– MiCorps Coordinator Michigan Department of Environmental Quality 525 West Allegan Street P.O. Box 30458 Lansing, MI 48909-7958 Phone: 517-241-9565 DimondW@michigan.gov Jo Latimore Michigan State University 13 Natural Resources East Lansing MI 48824-1222 Phone: 517-432-1491 latimor1@msu.edu
Michigan	Minnesota
Flint River Watershed Coalition (1999) Darren Bagley G-4215 W. Pasadena Flint, MI 48504-2376 Phone: (810) 244-8524 bagleyda@msu.edu	Lake Superior Duluth Streams City of Duluth Storm Water Office Phone: (218) 730-4130
Minnesota	Missouri
Red River Basin River Watch (2010) Annette Drewes University of MN Extension 251 Owen Hall 2900 University Ave Crookston, MN 56716 Phone:(218) 766-1342 aldrewes@umn.edu	Missouri Stream Team (1989) Susan Higgins ST VWQM Coordinator Missouri Dept. Natural Resources - Water Protection Program P.O. Box 176 Jefferson City, MO 65102-0176 Phone: (573) 526-1002 Fax: 573/522-9920 Susan.Higgins@dnr.mo.gov Wayne Maresch ST VWQM Coordinator Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources - Environmental Services Program Truman State Park 28761 State Park Rd. West Warsaw, MO 65355 Phone: (660) 438-2805 Wayne.Maresch@dnr.mo.gov
Missouri	Montana
Missouri Stream Team (1989) (contacts continued) Chris Riggert ST VWQM Coordinator Missouri Dept. Conservation - Streams Unit P.O. Box 180 Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180 Phone: (573) 522-4115 x 3167 Fax: 573/526-0990 Chris.Riggert@mdc.mo.gov Amy Junclaus ST Biologist Missouri Dept. Conservation - Streams Unit P.O. Box 180 Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180 Phone: (573) 526-4115 x 3166 Fax: 573/526-0990 Amy.Junclaus@mdc.mo.gov Priscilla Stotts ST VWQM Coordinator Missouri Dept. Natural Resources - Water Protection Program P.O. Box 176 Jefferson City, MO 65102-0176 Phone: (573) 526-3406 Fax: 573/522-9920 Priscilla.Stotts@dnr.mo.gov	Gallatin Stream Team Tammy Crone 1709 W. College St., Suite 104 Bozeman MT 59715 Phone: (406) 582-3145 tammy.crone@gallatin.mt.gov
Montana	Montana
Salish Kootenai College Youth Monitoring Frank Finley PO Box 70 Pablo MT 59855 Phone: (406) 241-1930 frank_finley@skc.edu	Montana Watercourse Adam Sigler (Extension partner) PO Box 170575 Bozeman, MT 59717-0575 Phone: (406) 994-7381 asigler@montana.edu
Nevada	New Hampshire
Tahoe-Truckee Snapshot Day (2001) Mary Kay Wagner Nevada Divison of Environmental Protection 901 S. Stewart St., Ste 4001 Carson City, NV 89701-5249 Phone: (775) 687-9454 mkwagner@ndep.nv.gov Susie Kocher Natural Resources Advisor, RPF #2874 UC Cooperative Extension - El Dorado County 1061 3rd Street South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150 Phone: (530) 542-2571 sdkocher@ucdavis.edu	NH Lakes Lay Monitoring Program (1978) Jeffrey Schloss University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension 131 Main Street 224 Nesmith Hall Durham NH 03824 Phone: (603) 862-3848 Fax: (603) 862-0107 jeff.schloss@unh.edu additional info: http://extension.unh.edu/WatRes/Pubs/llmp.pdf
New Hampshire	New York
Coastal Research Volunteers (2012) Dari Ward University of New Hampshire Sea Grant Kingman Farm Durham NH 03824 Phone: (603) 749-1565 Fax: (603) 743-3997 dari.ward@unh.edu	Community Water Watch Program Todd Stevenson, Program Coordinator Monroe County Department of Health Bureau of Environmental Quality 111 Westfall Road Rochester, NY 14620 Phone: (585) 753-5472 tstevenson@monroecounty.gov
New York	New York
Woodland Pool Steward Program Kristi Sullivan Cornell University 109 Fernow Hall Ithaca NY 14853 Phone: 607-255-5508 Fax: 607-255-2815 kls20@cornell.edu	Dutchess Watershed Stewards Carolyn Klocker Sr. Water Resource Educator Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County 2715 Route 44 Millbrook, NY 12545 Phone: (845) -677-8223, ext. 135 cak97@cornell.edu
North Carolina	Ohio
Water Watch (2009) Roseann L’Esperance Community Educator City of Winston-Salem Stormwater Division PO Box 2511 Winston-Salem, NC 27102 Phone: (336) 747-6960 roseannl@cityofws.org Wendi Hartup Forsyth County Cooperative Extension 1450 Fairchild Rd Winston-Salem, NC 27105 Phone: (336) 703-2858 wendi_hartup@ncsu.edu	Ohio Clean Marina Program Frank Lichtkoppler Extension Specialist Ohio State University Sea Grant 1314 Kinnear Rd, Area 100 Columbus, OH 43212 Phone: (440) 350-2582 lichtkoppler.1@osu.edu
Ohio	Ohio
Ohio State University Extension Jerry Iles OSU Extension - Athens County 280 West Union Athens, OH 45701 Phone: 800-297-2072 iles.9@osu.edu	Citizen Lake Awareness and Monitoring (CLAM) Progam Dana Oleskiewicz Ohio Lake Management Society P.O. Box 463 Kent, OH 44240 Phone: (330) 466-5631 Oleskiewicz@windstream.net
Oklahoma	Oregon
Blue Thumb Program (2000) Cheryl Cheadle Oklahoma Conservation Commission 128 East 3rd Street Bristow OK 74010 Phone: (918) 398-1804 c heryl.cheadle@conservation.ok.gov	Pacific NW Water Quality Monitoring Program (1999) Bob Simmons County Director and Water Resources Faculty 303 N 4th St Shelton, WA 98584 Phone: (360) 427-9670 ext 690 simmons@wsu.edu
Oregon	Oregon
Partnership for the Umpqua Rivers (2000) Sandy Lyon Monitoring Coordinator 1758 N.E. Airport Road Roseburg, OR 97470 Phone: (541) 673-5756 X149 sandy@umpquarivers.org	Curry Watershed Water Quality Monitoring (1994) Cindy Ricks Myers PO Box 666 Gold Beach OR 97444 Phone: (541) 247-2755 ext 7 cricks@currywatersheds.org
Oregon	Rhode Island
The Oregon Well Monitoring Program (2007) Chrissy Lucas Oregon Extension Service 1849 NE 9th St. Corvallis, OR 97330 Phone: (541) 766-6750 chrissy.lucas@oregonstate.edu	URI Watershed Watch (1988) Linda Green University of Rhode Island Cooperative Extension Natural Resources Science Dept. URI 1 Greenhouse Road Kingston RI 02881 Phone: (401) 874-2905 lgreen@uri.edu Elizabeth Herron Phone: (401) 874-4552 emh@uri.edu
South Carolina	South Carolina
Clemson-Carolina Clear (2002) David Joyner Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service 259 Meeting Street Charleston, SC 29401 Phone: (843) 722-5940 ext 125 djoyner@clemson.edu	SC DNR SCORE (SC Oyster Restoration and Enhancement Program) (2001) Nancy Hadley Marine Resources Research Institute South Carolina Dept of Natural Resources PO Box 12559 Charleston SC 29422 Phone: (843) 953-9841 score.dnr.sc.gov
Texas	Utah
Texas Stream Team (1991) Jennifer Mandel Buratti Texas State University-River Systems Institute 601 University Dr San Marcos, TX 78666 Phone: 1-877-506-1401 txstreamteam@txstate.edu	Utah Water Watch (2002) Brian Greene USU Water Quality Extension 5210 Old Main Hill Logan UT 84322 Phone: (435) 797-2580 brian.greene@usu.edu
Vermont	Vermont
Watershed Alliance (1999) Erin De Vries Education and Outreach Coordinator Rubenstein Ecosystem Science Lab 3 College Street Burlington, VT 05401 Phone: (802) 859-3086 x305 erin.devries@uvm.edu	Vermont Lay Monitoring Program (1979) Amy Picotte Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation Water Quality Division 103 South Main St., Building 10 North Waterbury, VT 05671-0408 Phone: (802) 241-3789 amy.picotte@state.vt.us
Washington	Washington
Pacific NW Water Quality Monitoring Program (1999) Bob Simmons County Director and Water Resources Faculty 303 N 4th St Shelton, WA 98584 Phone: (360) 427-9670 ext 690 simmons@wsu.edu	WSU Beach Watchers (1989) Chrys Bertolotto 600 128th Street SE (mailing) 128th Street SE (street) Everett, WA 98208-6353 Phone: (425) 357-6020 chrys@wsu.edu
West Virginia	Wisconsin
West Virginia Save Our Streams (1989) Glenn Nelson 601 57th Street, SE Charleston, WV 25304 Phone: (304) 926-0496 ext. 1710 Glenn.R.Nelson@wv.gov	Bad River Watershed Association (2002) Michele Wheeler 101 West Main St, Suite 353 PO Box 875 Ashland, WI 54806 Phone: (715) 682-2003 michele@badriverwatershed.org
Wisconsin	Wisconsin
Milwaukee Riverkeeper (2005) Cheryl Nenn 1845 N. Farwell Ave. Suite 100 Milwaukee, WI 53202 Phone: (414) 287-0207 ext. 229 cheryl_nenn@milwaukeeriverkeeper.org	WI Ephemeral Ponds Project (2007) Mary Holleback Riveredge Nature Center 4458 West Hawthorne Dr Newburg, WI 53060 Phone: 1-800-287-8098 maryh@riveredge.us
Wisconsin	Wisconsin
Citizen Lake Monitoring Network (1986) Laura Herman Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources 107 Sutliff Avenue Rhinelander WI 54501-3349 Phone: (715) 365-8998 laura.herman@uwsp.edu	Clean Boats, Clean Waters (2003) Erin MacFarlane UWEX Lakes Program UW Stevens Point, CNR 800 Reserve St Stevens Point WI 54481 Phone: (715) 346-4978 erin.mcfarlane@uwsp.edu
Wisconsin	Wisconsin
Water Action Volunteers (1996) Kris Stepenuck University of Wisconsin-Extension Environmental Resources Center 445 Henry Mall, Rm 202 Madison WI 53706-1577 Phone: (608) 265-3887 kris.stepenuck@ces.uwex.edu	AMBLE (Avian Monitoring for Botulism Lakeshore Events) (2011) Jenny Chipault USGS National Wildlife Health Center 6006 Schroeder Rd. Madison, WI 53711 Phone: (608) 270-2473 AMBLE@usgs.gov

Please note, the programs listed on this page are not the only volunteer water quality monitoring programs in existence in the country. They represent only those that have a connection with Extension - whether as a sponsor, partner or affiliate. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency maintains an online directory of volunteer monitoring programs across the nation. More than 1000 programs are listed in that directory. It is accessible at: http://yosemite.epa.gov/water/volmon.nsf/Home?readform

Updated Tuesday, 03-Apr-2012 17:02:58 CDT

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