The MDEQ Water Resources Division (WRD) is soliciting water quality monitoring recommendations for 2019 to support implementation of the watershed-specific component of its Strategic Environmental Quality Monitoring Program. Primary goals of the strategy are to:

• Assess the current status and condition of individual waters of the state and determine whether water quality standards are being met. 
• Measure spatial and temporal water quality trends.
• Provide data to support the MDEQ's water quality protection programs (i.e., National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits, Nonpoint Sources, Areas of Concern, and Site Remediation).
• Detect new and emerging water quality problems.

For 2019, the WRD intends to target the majority of its monitoring resources to those watersheds highlighted in the Basin Year 1 Watersheds Map. However, the WRD will consider recommendations for other Michigan watersheds, including the Great Lakes and their connecting channels. An overview of the monitoring request process with examples of potential monitoring can be viewed in the 2017 webinar entitled “Water Quality Monitoring Requests – Background on the Process and How to Submit a Request.” A recording of this webinar is available through the MDEQ training and workshops webpage.

If interested, please electronically complete and submit a Water Quality Monitoring request form by October 24, 2018, in order to be considered for the 2019 field season. The request form and instructions for completion are available online. Please note that submission of a request does not guarantee that the WRD will be able to conduct the monitoring. Many factors, including budget, staff availability, and division priorities, are taken into consideration during the decision-making process. 

Contact DEQ-WRD-TMR@michigan.gov, Lee Schoen (517-342-4500) or Matt Wesener (517-342-4568) if you have any further questions.