BY AMANDA HARRISON
Unusual weather patterns and low lake levels are being credited for the increase in volunteers with lake and stream monitoring programs.
MiCorps is the network that oversees volunteer water monitoring programs It's hosting a two day conference this month in Roscommon to train new volunteers.
Bill Dimond is an aquatic biologist with the Department of Environmental Quality.
He said the reason they're seeing more people in the lakes program...
"Especially this year it that it was a hot, dry, sunny year and there was a lot of aquatic plant growth and people who live on the lakes are concerned about that. I think we're getting more interest in the streams program because in particular extreme water sports are becoming more popular. People like to kayak and canoe in the river and they want them to be healthy and to look good when they're kayaking and canoeing."
More information on the conference and becoming a volunteer is at micorps.net.