Go here for Volunteer Resources

This web page provides resources for monitoring volunteers and current monitoring results. The Water Quality Monitoring Program is conducted for the partners in the Middle Huron Initiative (MHI) and Livingston Watershed Advisory Group (WAG) to better understand nutrient and contaminant loading dynamics in the Livingston and Washtenaw county sections of the Huron River Watershed. The program also aims to identify pollutant loading hot spots and evaluate collective progress of best management practices designed to minimize stormwater-related impairments.  Overall, the program’s long-term goal is to evaluate progress toward improving overall water quality within the Huron River Watershed.

Value of the Program

The Water Quality Monitoring Program was developed in response to community interest in increasing the data available on nutrient contributions to the Huron River and its lakes and tributaries.  The data are intended to lead to a better understanding of pollution contributions from non-point and stormwater sources  in subdrainages of the watershed. An improved understanding of sources will help the MHI Partners and the Livingston WAG to focus and track pollution reduction efforts as they strive to meet the phosphorus TMDLs for Ford, Belleville, Strawberry, Brighton, and Ore lakes, as well as bacteria TMDLs for the river and Honey Creek. The Monitoring Program is designed to complement  monitoring conducted by municipalities, universities, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Environmental (MDNRE) and others. The sites are sampled for nutrients, bacteria and background chemistry twice monthly from April to September. Data are collected from stream locations that facilitate the establishment of relationships between land cover and ecological stream health.

Monitoring Sites

We are currently monitoring 20 sites in the Huron River watershed.  See below for a map of these sites.

View Huron River Water Quality Monitoring Sites in a larger map

Program History and Expectations

The Middle Huron Program began with the 2002 field season pilot during which only six sites and four months were studied. In 2003, four additional sites were added to the program and all ten sites were studied for five months. This schedule continued through 2006, with the exception of the Millers Creek site, which was dropped due to access issues. In 2007, storm events were targeted at four sites (Allens, Traver, Malletts and Swift Run) where fixed water level sensors were established. This was done to provide additional data on nutrient conditions during high-flow events. At the end of 2008, two additional sites were added in Livingston County to provide an upstream comparison with another nutrient-enriched watershed. With the addition grants from MDNRE, more frequent site visits and storm monitoring were added, as well as sampling of “investigative” sites to identify potential pollutant hot spots. Storm monitoring is being conducted thanks to the donation of an autosampler by the City of Ann Arbor.

The Huron Chain of Lakes Program began in August 2010 during which 8 sites and 2 months will be studied. Current plans are to continue monitoring for another year under current grant funding, with additonal sites added next season. Storm monitoring is being conducted thanks to the donation of an autosampler by the Livingston County Drain Commissioner’s Office.  The program will then continue with funding from the Livingston WAG.

Monitoring Program Partners

Realization of the Monitoring Program requires ample resources, from providing volunteer training and coordination to analyzing water samples and entering and interpreting the results. Many friends of the Huron River dedicated their time, expertise and equipment to the project. The MHI Partners and the Livingston WAG are grateful for the generous contributions from the following partners who enabled the continuation and growth of this important research and stewardship program.

• City of Ann Arbor Water Treatment Plant provided analysis of all water samples for the Middle Huron.
• City of Brighton Wastewater Treatment Plant provided analysis of all water samples for the Huron Chain of Lakes.
• Livingston County Drain Commissioner’s Office provided field equipment.
• University of Michigan, Occupational Safety and Environmental Health Department provided sample containers through 2005.
• The Huron River Watershed Council, Adopt-A-Stream program loaned the Marsh McBirney Flo-Mate Portable Flowmeter Model 2000 and other field equipment.

Data and Reports

The most recent report from the Middle Huron Stream Monitoring Program is a comprehensive report on analysis of monitoring results through the 2007 season. Results include monitoring of 9 tributaries in the middle Huron River Watershed. The report includes photos and descriptions of the monitoring sites, and discussions of methodologies and results.  A report through 2009 is pending.
2002-2007 Stream Monitoring Report, pdf file is 1.4 megabytes

Preliminary presentations have been developed to illustrate 2008 and 2009 data:

• 2008_summary
• 2009_summary (1 of 2)
• 2009 summary (2 of 2)

As 2010 raw lab results are received monthly, they will be posted below.

Middle Huron	Huron Chain of Lakes
May 2010	August 2010 (pending)
June 2010
July 2010
August 2010 (pending)

Who is the HRWC contact person for the Water Quality Monitoring Program?

Direct inquiries about the monitoring programs to Ric Lawson at 734/769-5123 x609 or email: rlawson@hrwc.org.