VLMP

• What is VLMP?
• Program Objectives
• Program History and Timeline
• Tiered Approach
• Monitoring Methods
• Who should Volunteer?
• I want to Join the VLMP!
• Training
• How long do the trainings take?
• What does my data mean?
• Newsletters
• Lake Notes
• Training Manual
• Training DVD
• Online Lakes Database (Enter and Retrieve data, charts, graphs and reports here.)
• The Great North American Secchi Dip-In
• World Water Monitoring Day
• Contact Us
• Illinois Boating Safety Laws
• Illinois Online Boating Safety and Certification

What does my data mean?

The VLMP is designed to be a self-help program. The data you collect is yours to use. Like joining the program, each volunteer may have a different reason for monitoring. Likewise, each volunteer will have a different use for their data.

We encourage volunteers to learn as much as they can about their data and we provide many resources to help jump start their search. For example, the VLMP training manual(Will be Updated Shortly) is riddled with many good tips and explanations of water quality. You may also visit Illinois EPA's website to find our Lake Notes publication, “Common Lake Water Quality Parameters,” to find answers to your questions. Additionally, there are many great websites to consult including (but definitely not limited to) the Great North American Secchi Dip-In website.

Annual Report

An annual report is published to present the results of each year's volunteer monitoring sampling efforts.

• VLMP Annual Report 2011

Newsletters

A VLMP newsletter is published twice per year to keep volunteers updated on current lake and watershed topics and to inform them if there are any announcements or changes in the program.

• Summer 2010
• Fall/Winter 2009
• Spring 2009
• Spring 2008
• Fall/Winter 2008
• Fall/Winter 2007
• August 2002
• October 2001
• July 2001

Lake Notes

Illinois EPA publishes a series of fact sheets called Lake Notes that provide information on a wide range of lake- and watershed-related topics.

These Lake Notes are currently available:

• Aquatic Exotics
• Aquatic Plant Management Options
• Artificial Structures For Fish Cover
• Beavers and Muskrats
• Canada Geese and Your Lake
• Common Lake Water Quality Parameters
• Determining Your Lake's Watershed
• Fertilizers and Pesticides
• Home and Yard
• Illinois Clean Lakes Program (ICLP)
• Illinois Lakeshore Birds
• Illinois Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program (VLMP)
• Lake Aeration and Circulation
• Lake Dredging
• Lake Education Assistance Program (LEAP)
• Lake Stratification and Mixing
• The Milfoil Weevil
• Monitoring Lake Quality
• Pressure Treated Wood
• Septic Systems
• Shoreline Buffer Strips
• Shoreline Stabilization
• Stormwater Detention Ponds
• Waterborne Pathogens
• Where to Go For Lake Information
• Zebra Mussels

Training Manual

Training is an essential component to the overall quality assurance of the data collected. We cannot overstate the value of volunteer training. In addition to personal trainings, volunteers are supplied with a step-by-step training manual that explains all monitoring methods and techniques demonstrated during training.

Volunteers should bring this manual out on the boat with them for every monitoring trip just in case a question comes up.

• VLMP Training Manual
  (Third Edition, January 2010)

Training DVD

Training is an essential component to the overall quality assurance of the data collected. We cannot overstate the value of volunteer training. In addition to personal trainings and the training manual(Will be Updated Shortly)volunteers are supplied with a step-by-step training DVD(Will be Updated Shortly)that explains all monitoring methods and techniques demonstrated during training and as outlined in the training manual.

Volunteers should watch this training DVD before going out on their first monitoring trip of the season and as needed.