Exotic Aquatic Plant Watch: Development of a volunteer monitoring program for invasive species in Michigan lakes

Volunteers have monitored water quality of Michigan’s lakes since 1974. In 2007, a new “Exotic Aquatic Plant Watch” program was piloted, in which volunteers survey lakes for a few invasive plants of highest environmental... [ view full abstract ]

Volunteers have monitored water quality of Michigan’s lakes since 1974. In 2007, a new “Exotic Aquatic Plant Watch” program was piloted, in which volunteers survey lakes for a few invasive plants of highest environmental concern. The goal is to provide lake communities and state agencies with valuable invasive plant data to inform management and assess control efforts. The training session was immediately popular. Volunteers were clearly interested in learning how to identify problematic invasive plants, but enrollment in the monitoring program was extremely low (1-3 lakes/year) in 2007 and 2008. The pilot enrollment goal of twenty lakes was reached in 2009 after the participation fee was reduced, volunteer experience requirements for enrollment were relaxed, and program marketing increased. The requirement to use GPS and online mapping was relaxed to allow other methods of reporting species locations. Although enrollment increased, the number of those lakes submitting data at the end of the season was less than 50%. A post-season survey of non-reporting volunteers revealed the most common reasons for non-reporting: (1) not realizing the importance of reporting negative results, and (2) the sense that monitoring was unnecessary if a professional plant management contractor had been hired for the lake. In 2010, the written protocol and training were updated to address these issues. While reporting rates improved somewhat, both reporting and enrollment were still lower than desired. We visited 20 lakes in 2013-2014 and learned that many volunteers lacked confidence their ability to choose sampling locations and correctly identify plants. In response, we developed a clearer sampling protocol and improved plant identification resources and access to professional assistance by adding the option to submit digital photographs of plants, and continuing site visits to lakes new to the program.