This presentation was given by Sue OHalloran of University of Wisconsin, Superior - Extension at the September 17th meeting of the Lake Superior Binational Forum. Amy Elliot of the Lake Superior Research Institute co-authored this presentation on Lake Superior Citizen Environmental Monitoring.

1. Lake Superior Citizen Monitoring Projects
Funding Partners:
Wisconsin Coastal Management Program
Sue O’Halloran UW-Extension
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Amy Eliot, Lake Superior Research Institute
University of Wisconsin - Superior Wisconsin - Extension
University of

2. Goals of Project:
• Provide training and support for citizen volunteers
• Increase the quality of data collected by citizen volunteers
• Increase collaboration between scientists and volunteers

3. • Provide training and support
• Statewide monitoring program
• Same parameters measured by all
monitoring groups
• Easy to measure
• Representative of stream health
over time

4. • Provide training and support
Marsh Monitoring Program slide
information
Variable Method Frequency
Temperature Thermometer Monthly
Water clarity Turbidity tube Monthly
Dissolved oxygen Hach Chemistry kit Monthly
Biotic Index D-net sampling Twice a year
(macroinvertebrates) (spring/fall)
Habitat Site assessment Once a year
Stream flow Float method Monthly

5. Field Training in WAV Methods

6. • Increase quality of volunteer data
WAV Plus
Scientists and volunteers collect stream invertebrate
samples at the same time and place
Samples collected 2X per season: spring and fall
Comparisons can be made – between Biotic Index values
calculated from data collected by volunteers and
scientists

7. WI Lake Superior Basin
LSRI Volunteer
Monitoring Sites
Brickyard
Flag Bark Lost
Siskiwit
Pokegama
Bluff East Fork Flag
Bear Sioux
Little Pokegama Middle
Dubois Amnicon
Bay City
Black
West Fork Montreal
Upper Tamarack
18 WAV (2006-2007)
11 WAV Plus (2007-2010)

8. Comparison of Stream Biotic Index Values
Professional HBI Volunteer HBI
Bear Creek
Downstream 6.17: Fair 6.79: Fairly Poor
Lost Creek
Mid-stream 3.51: Very Good 3.10: Excellent
Downstream 5.07: Good 5.02: Good
Sioux River
Downstream 2.18: Excellent 1.73: Excellent
4.82: Good 4.66: Good
Upstream 2.14: Excellent 2.22: Excellent
5.13: Good 5.03: Good

9. Comparison of Professional and Citizen Volunteer Data
Water quality and HBI’s for Lake Superior tributaries

10. Lake Superior Coastal Watershed Assessment
• Use Great Lakes Coastal
Wetland Consortium
indicators to evaluate
wetland plant and
invertebrate community
health
•Land cover analysis to
determine amount of
forested and open lands
in each subwatersheds
54.9%
55.7%
• Identify subwatersheds
where land cover is
approaching 60% or
greater open lands
50.9% 58.6% • Prioritize these areas
for best management
practices

11. Lake Superior Coastal Watershed Assessment
Monitoring data is needed in
order to provide information
on the relationship between
open land cover and water
quality in streams and coastal
20.5%
wetlands
13.9%

12. MARSH MONITORING PROGRAM
1. Monitor breeding marsh birds and amphibians in the Great Lakes
2. Investigate habitat associations of marsh species
3. Support wetland conservation efforts
4. Increase public awareness of the
importance of wetlands to the Great Lakes

13. Marsh Monitoring Program in the
St. Louis River Area of Concern

14. Lessons Learned
• Volunteers are interested in collecting meaningful data about the
water resources in their community
• Credible data can be generated by citizen volunteers
• Stable funding source(s) should be identified to provide the
consistency and level of coordinated effort needed to build and
support citizen volunteer programs

16. Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Consortium
Community Indicators
Monitoring Conducted During 2007-08
• Invertebrate community
• Water quality
Added in 2008-09: Plant Community
Sampling Schedule
Plant, invertebrate and water quality
samples were collected during mid-summer
Invertebrate and water quality samples
were collected from each of the inundated
plant zones (wet meadow, emergent and
submergent)

17. Coastal Estuary Results
Lost Creek Bog Overall IBI: 95 2007-08
Mildly Impacted
Wetland community is beginning to show
signs indicative of anthropogenic
disturbance.
Sioux River Slough Overall IBI: 115
Mildly Impacted
Wetland community is beginning to show
signs indicative of anthropogenic
disturbance.
Allouez Bay Overall IBI: 88
Moderately Impacted
Wetland shows few but obvious signs
indicative of anthropogenic disturbance.
31 Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Consortium Index of Biotic Integrity 182
Extremely Degraded Moderately Moderately Mildly Reference
Degraded Degraded Impacted Impacted Condition

18. Estuary Name River or Stream GLCWC County
Hydrogeomorphic Class
Allouez Bay Bear Creek Lacustrine, sand-spit Douglas
embayment
Lacustrine, Open embayment
Flag River Estuary Flag River Barred drowned river mouth; Bayfield
Barrier-Protected beach lagoon.
Bark Bay Slough Bark River Barrier-Protected beach lagoon Bayfield
Lost Creek Bog Lost Creek No. 1 Riverine: open, drowned river- Bayfield
mouth
Sioux River Slough Sioux River Barrier-Protected beach lagoon Bayfield

20. Estuary Plant Community Analysis 2008-09
VEGETATIVE COMMUNITY INDICATOR SCORES
Lake Superior Estuaries in Wisconsin
ALLOUEZ FLAG LOST SIOUX
BARK BAY
BAY RIVER CREEK RIVER
Invasive Cover
3 5 3 5 3
(Entire Site)
Invasive Freq.
3 5 3 5 3
(Entire Site)
Mean C
COMBINED COMBINED
5 5 5 5 5 NUMERIC DESCRIPTIVE
(Entire Site)
SCORE SCORES
Invasive Cover
3 5 3 5 3
(Wet Meadow) 0-5 VERY LOW
Invasive Freq.
(Wet Meadow)
1 5 3 5 3 6-20 LOW
Mean C
5 5 5 5 5 21-40 MEDIUM
(Wet Meadow)
Invasive Cover
41-50 HIGH
3 5 5 5 3
(Submergents)
Invasive Freq.
3 5 5 5 1
(Submergents)
Mean C
3 5 5 5 5
(Submergents)
SAV Tolerance 5 5 3 5 5
TOTAL SCORE 34 50 40 50 36

21. Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Classifications
Allouez Bay
Lacustrine, Protected
Sand-spit embayment Lost Creek Wetland
Riverine System Sioux River wetland
Barred, drowned river mouth
Riverine System
Successional Barrier Beach Lagoon
Barred, drowned river mouth
Successional Barrier Beach Lagoon