Surface water monitoring by individual volunteers, school groups, stream teams, watershed associations, and others is a valuable component of DEP's approach to watershed management. The Massachusetts Watershed Initiative supports citizen monitoring through the establishment and maintenance of a Statewide monitoring support center, by administering a grant program to foster the development of new and existing monitoring groups, and by providing technical assistance as needed.

The primary benefits of qualitative and quantitative data collection by citizen groups are:

• Increased awareness of watershed-specific environmental issues by data gatherers, data users and the general public. Information gathered by watershed inhabitants is especially useful with regard to non-point pollution during episodic events (e.g. rainfall runoff from eroding streambanks, farms, construction sites, parking lots, etc.) and to help identify and document pollution sources. The data are often used to educate residents about ways to preserve and improve environmental quality.
• Greater potential for additional stewardship actions by volunteers and others. Volunteer monitoring can help motivate interested citizens and groups to beneficial action intended to protect and restore natural areas and water quality, and
• Generation of usable data of known and documented quality that can be used to assess the health of specific waterbodies and to evaluate the need and potential for capital improvements and funding. Consistent with DEP's Quality Management Plan, DWM requires that volunteer and other sources of information meet the following criteria:
• DWM-approved production and implementation of a Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP), including the standard operating procedures (SOPs) to be used for field sampling and laboratory analyses. DEP, with assistance from the Massachusetts Water Watch Partnership (MWWP), recently issued a detailed guidebook for volunteer QAPP production. Other surveying aids from the MWWP are linked below.
• Use of an analytical laboratory with proven capabilities for the applicable analyses, well-documented SOPs and a QA Plan. The Wall Experiment Station maintains a current list of State-certified laboratories (preferred).
• The information is documented in a citable report, which includes discussion of quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC), as well as data management.

Questions regarding volunteer water quality monitoring can be directed to the MADEP Division of Watershed Management or the Massachusetts Water Watch Partnership.

Surveying a Lake Watershed and Preparing an Action Plan

For citizen groups interested in conducting a watershed survey.
PDF 1.4MB | Appendices: PDF 2 MB

Surveying A Lake Watershed - Data Collection Forms

Data Collection forms for the Lake Watershed Survey Guide
MS Word 980 KB

Massachusetts Volunteer Monitor's Guidebook to Quality Assurance Project Plans

A workbook to assist volunteer monitors in preparing their quality assurance project plans, which are required for any monitoring efforts that receive state or federal funding. This workbook is a supplement to US EPA's "Volunteer Monitor's Guide to Quality Assurance Plans" (see link below under "Environmental Protection Agency").
Cover letter: MS Word 29 KB | PDF 17 KB
Guidebook: PDF 2 MB

Massachusetts Inland Volunteer Monitoring General Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP)

This document contains baseline requirements for various levels of data collection in water quality monitoring projects for inland water bodies. Any group performing the types of monitoring activities described in the QAPP can adopt this document as their project plan.
MS Word 1.7 MB | PDF 482 KB

Example Field Data Sheets

Sample field data sheet for estuaries, rivers and lakes.
Estuaries: PDF 34 KB | Rivers: PDF 35 KB | Lakes: PDF 34 KB

Environmental Monitoring: Quality Management Program

An explanation of the Quality Management Program and the role of its Quality Assurance Project Plans in ensuring the reliability of scientific data gathered in a monitoring program.
Web page

Massachusetts Water Watch Partnership Surveying Aids

Links will open in new browser windows.

Surveying methods
Protocols for sampling for a variety of water quality parameters, such as alkalinity, bacteria, chlorophyll, pH, and more.
MWWP Web site

Data interpretation guides
Help for volunteer monitors in compiling and presenting their data.
MWWP Web site

Virtual Library by topic
MassWWP's online library of resources for volunteer monitors.
MWWP Web site

Environmental Protection Agency

Links will open in new browser windows.

The Volunteer Monitor's Guide to Quality Assurance Project Plans
Quality Assurance Project Plans (QAPPs) outline the procedures by which the data collected in a monitoring effort meets the project requirements. QAPPs are required for projects that receive state or federal funding.
US EPA Web site

Surveying methods:

EPA stream manual
A methods manual for stream monitoring.
US EPA Web site

EPA wetland manual
Advice on how to approach wetland monitoring.
US EPA Web site

EPA estuary manual
Information and methods specific to monitoring water quality in estuaries (coastal water bodies where fresh and salt water mix).
US EPA Web site

EPA volunteer group directory
A list of volunteer organizations nationwide engaged in water-body monitoring.
US EPA Web site

EPA lake manual
Water quality monitoring methods for lakes.
US EPA Web site

Volunteer newsletters:

US EPA's "The Volunteer Monitor"
National newsletter of volunteer water quality monitoring.
US EPA Web site

Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game - Division of Fisheries & Wildlife
Newsletters on various environmental subjects from the Division of Fisheries & Wildlife.
DFW Web site