The Friends of the Shiawassee River has received a $14,400 grant from the Consumers Energy Foundation supporting their Stream Team volunteer water monitoring program.

“Consumers Energy is committed to ensuring Michigan has world-class natural resources, especially the preservation and restoration of flowing waters in our home state,” said Carolyn Bloodworth, secretary/treasurer of the Consumers Energy Foundation. “As a tributary to the Saginaw River and Saginaw Bay, we look forward to seeing the positive impact this contribution to the Friends of the Shiawassee River will have on the water quality of all three freshwater resources.”

The grant will support the expansion and development of the Stream Team program from Holly to St. Charles. Currently, through Stream Team efforts, the river is monitored twice annually at 10 sites along the approximately 100-mile stretch. Teams of trained leaders and interested volunteers collect, identify, and count a variety of benthic macroinvertebrates (“bugs”). Based on the number and type of macroinvertebrates collected at a testing site, a water quality rating is assigned to that stretch of the river – using standards set by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality’s Clean Water Corps (MiCorps) program.

If you are interested in participating in this program please contact Sarah Baker at sbaker@shiawasseeriver.org