The Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Program is a cooperative program between the Missouri Departments of Natural Resources and Conservation and the Conservation Federation of Missouri to involve citizens in water quality monitoring. The objectives of the program are to inform and educate people about the condition of Missouri's aquatic resources and how watershed activities influence that condition, establish an extensive water quality monitoring network, and provide a knowledge base that citizens can draw upon to be advocates for improved water quality of our streams. The Volunteer Water Quality Program takes a holistic approach to monitoring.
Volunteers measure biological, physical, and chemical aspects to evaluate stream conditions.
As the volunteers' interest and expertise increase, they can receive advanced training and become more proficient at monitoring. Here is the 2001 Introductory Level Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Workshop schedule. The workshops consist of 6 hours of classroom instruction and 1-2 hours on a stream to demonstrate sampling methods. The only requirements to attend one of the workshops are that you have an interest in water quality and are willing to donate your time to attend the entire workshop and to monitor a stream. The level of material presented is not designed for children, however, older youth accompanied by an adult are welcome.