Citizen Based Stream Monitoring (Level 2 Program)

UW Parkside Monitoring Stream in Level 2 CBSM Program.

More than ever before, citizens throughout Wisconsin are contributing energy and skills to the collection of water quality data on Wisconsin streams to help restore and protect water resources and aquatic life. The Citizen-based Water Monitoring Network of Wisconsin offers citizens multiple opportunities to monitor our state's waters. The program's three levels support differing levels of participation. Learn more at the University of Wisconsin Extension, which provides background details regarding the three program level options.

The Citizen Based Stream Monitoring ("CBSM") Program (Level 2), status and trends monitoring, grew from Water Action Volunteers, (Level 1), which introduces citizens to the basics of monitoring and connections between land use and water quality. The CBSM Program began in 2006 as a pilot project between the Department of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin-Extension, and the River Alliance of Wisconsin. Today, this work contributes significantly to the the state's water quality monitoring dataset. For people who wish to take monitoring a step further, the Level 3 Program offers more indepth opportunities for contributing resource information to resource decision making.

As of December 1, 2008, over 263 stations were part of CBSM Level 2, which hosts a full-time coordinator and a part-time data manager. At these stations, data for 2,354 fieldwork events have been entered. Datasets include instantaneous measures such as transparency, dissolved oxygen, and temperature, as well as continuous meter results for stream temperature.

Citizen Based Stream Monitoring results entered in SWIMS by Region.

Contact

For more information contact

Chris Clayton
Watershed Management