Legislative Action on Restoring Full Funding to MiCorps
Lake and Stream Water Quality Monitoring Programs a Critical
Component of Preserving our Water Resources for Future Generations
by Bob Frye, MWAI, President

For readers of our e-newsletter that may not be entirely familiar with our organization, the Michigan Waterfront Alliance, Incorporated (MWAI) was formed in 1998 as an IRS 501(c)4 non-profit corporation whose mission and goals are primarily focused on protecting, preserving, and promoting the wise and sustainable use of Michigan’s vast treasure of extraordinary freshwater resources. MWAI is a membership-based organization that strives to accomplish our goals through active participation in our state’s legislative process (lobbying), by direct participation in certain court cases, especially those that may negatively affect riparian rights, in cases whose potential outcomes may have statewide legal ramifications, and/or by direct involvement with Michigan’s environment and natural resource management departments or agencies.
As President of Michigan Waterfront Alliance, one of the most important aspects of my job, while working closely with our Board of Directors, is to ensure that our organizations limited resources are utilized in a manner that will serve to maximize their potential to influence the establishment of state laws, policies, and priorities that ultimately act to help protect and preserve Michigan’s freshwater resources. In light of the fact that unpaid volunteers conduct our organizations day-to-day administrative operations, we are able to dedicate a large percentage of our membership derived income to accomplishing our water resource protection and preservation focused mission and goals. We would encourage you and your organization to become members of the Michigan Waterfront Alliance!
Representing one of the most important water resource protection and management issues to have arisen in Michigan over the course of the past few years – we have politely asked the readers of this e-newsletter to contact their respective state representatives and senators to encourage their support for the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) request for adequate funding to support the highly successful, nationally recognized partnership-based Michigan Clean Water Corps (MiCorps), and its key programs, the Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program, and the Volunteer Stream Monitoring Program. EGLE’s request for state legislature appropriated funding to support Michigan Clean Water Corps and its lake and stream water quality monitoring focused programs is driven by the fact that funds in the range of $250,000 to $300,000 that were made available on an annual basis to the Department from 2003 – 2016 to pay for MiCorps and its programs derived from the Clean Michigan Initiative, a 1998 voter approved $675 million environmental clean-up focused bond issue whose resources have now been depleted.
As many of our readers may be aware, EGLE senior leadership has been forced to suspend the Volunteer Stream Monitoring Program, one of MiCorps key components, due to lack of funding. In the absence of a dedicated funding source, EGLE managers have conducted the inland lakes focused MiCorps Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program over the past two years by internally shifting limited discretionary funds from other critical programs, or, as is the case for the 2019 program, with a one time “grant” for $150,000 made available to the agency by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. 
Michigan Waterfront Alliance and its diverse membership therefore wholeheartedly supports the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy request for a 2020 state budget appropriation of $377,500 that would allow the agency to fully restore and properly administer Michigan Clean Water Corps (MiCorps) well-run volunteer-based lakes and streams water quality monitoring programs. In light of the fact that our inland lakes, rivers, and streams are known to contribute somewhere in the neighborhood of $10 to $15 billion to Michigan’s economy, an annual legislative appropriation of $377, 500 (representing a tiny fraction of what our freshwater resources contribute annually to Michigan’s economy) that would allow EGLE senior leadership to fully fund and administer MiCorps programs represents a wise and timely investment in Michigan’s future.
In an era defined by widespread occurrences of aquatic invasive species, intensifying residential development within the ecologically sensitive nearshore areas of many of our inland lakes and streams, and lack of viable funding sources for lake and stream management, MiCorps, and its highly cost effective volunteer-based water quality monitoring programs represent an increasingly important component of our collective ability to help ensure the preservation of our vast legacy of high quality inland lakes and streams for future generations.
For our readers that maybe less familiar with the Michigan Clean Water Corps (MiCorps), please see the detailed summary of the organization’s mission, goals, programs, and accomplishments that appear in the paragraphs below.
We sincerely hope that this detailed e-mail communication will serve to inspire you to phone and/or e-mail your respective state representative and senator to express your support for the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s request to the state legislature for a dedicated budget appropriation that would restore full funding to MiCorps and its highly cost effective programs. If you’ve already called or e-mailed on behalf of MiCorps, thank you for your support! We would encourage our readers to again call and/or e-mail their respective senators and representative – legislators judge the importance of a particular issue based on the number of calls and e-mails that they receive from constituents! Your phone calls and e-mails will help lay the ground work for our efforts on behalf of MiCorps that will intensify over the next few weeks as state representatives and senators return from summer break and resume their work on finalizing the 2020 state budget.  
Our readers should know that MiCorps and its outstanding water quality monitoring programs will likely come to an unceremonious end on October 1st, 2019 without legislative action in the next few weeks. In a state where so much of our unique Pure Michigan culture, history, wealth, and a bright and successful future for our children is inextricably tied to our ability to successfully preserve our extraordinary legacy of freshwater resources, the very thought of losing these outstanding citizen volunteer-based water quality monitoring programs is untenable!!! We greatly appreciate your willingness to devote a bit of time over the next week or so in order to make an important contribution to our efforts to save MiCorps by calling or e-mailing your respective state legislators!
Find Your Michigan State Senator
Find Your Michigan House Representative

Established by Executive Order in 2003, Michigan Clean Water Corps (MiCorps) was created in order to build a collaborative partnership between what was then known as the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) (now referred to as the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy), and community-based organizations in order to collect and share lake and stream water-quality data for use in water resource management and protection programs.
MiCorps, and its volunteer-based lake and stream water quality monitoring programs seek to: 

• establish and expand a volunteer-based water quality monitoring network for Michigan’s treasure of inland lakes and streams;
• educate citizen volunteers so as to enable their ability to collect reliable water quality data;
• collect and exchange reliable and meaningful water-quality data;
• establish internet-based programs that includes a searchable database of volunteer-collected water-quality data, a directory of participating organizations, and training and data-interpretation associated resources

One of the 288 inland lakes participating in the MiCorps’ Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program (CLMP) in 2019, Sand Lake (pictured above) is a 440 acre freshwater jewel located in the heart of southeast Michigan's River Raisin watershed. Like many inland lakes in Michigan, Sand Lake has experienced extensive residential development within its riparian zones over the course of the past sixty years and is surrounded by agricultural lands - these two factors make the lakes moderately productive ecosystem vulnerable to the water clarity depriving influences of excess nutrient fueled eutrophication. Concerned about the future of their lake, Sand Lake community-based volunteers who have been trained by and who receive continuing support from MiCorps staff, participate in the Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program which allows them to monitor several critical water quality parameters and to observe and track gradual changes that may occur within their lake's ecosystem over time.
Support for Sand Lake and its surrounding community represents just one of many outstanding examples of how Michigan Clean Water Corps highly professional staff provides training and other forms of pro-active support that enables volunteer water quality monitors throughout the state to collect high quality, reliable data regarding the ecological status of their respective inland lakes. Beginning as a simple “self-help” Secchi disk (water transparency) program with only a few participating lakes in the summer of 1974, the Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program, a key component of MiCorps since 2004, has since evolved to become the second largest and one of the most successful volunteer-based water quality monitoring programs in the country with nearly three hundred enrolled lakes.
Michigan Lake Stewardship Associations (MLSA) (formerly known as Michigan Lake and Stream Associations) administers the Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program jointly with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) under a Memorandum of Understanding. MLSA operates the program in partnership with EGLE, theGreat Lakes Commission, the Huron River Watershed Council, with technical support also provided to the program by Michigan State University Extension.
Dr. Paul Steen, a watershed ecologist at the Huron River Watershed Council, and long-time Michigan Clean Water Corps (MiCorps) program manager, was recently interviewed on NPR radio station WEMU (89.1) regarding the value of the Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program, and the importance of water quality monitoring in order to help maintain high quality inland lakes. Read the story and listen to Dr. Steen's radio interview by clicking here .
To download and read a well written scientific journal article that explores how our communities, our lakes and streams, and freshwater science have all benefited from collaborative partnership-based volunteer water quality monitoring programs such as the Michigan Clean Water Corps (MiCorps), click here

Well the weather held out for our annual boat parade and also the fireworks.  We had 10 boats enter with all terrific themes.  The results are in.
There was also a whole lot of red and white ballons, banners, flags, and everything patriotic. Best turn out since 2009.  Next year the 4th is on a Saturday so lets start thinking of themes.  
 THANKS TO OUR GRAND MARSHALLS,  MARY AND LAUREN, AND ALL THAT HELPED AND TURNED OUT THIS YEAR.
 Bob and Janet Richter and Jim Neubauer
​
1stplace          Younker family, YMCA theme and dancing.

2ndplace         Lindbloom family, Jungle Cruise theme 

​FOR IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE: 
 
The Lake of the Woods Improvement Association will again sponsor the July 4decorated boat parade around Lake of the Woods. Beginning promptly at 6:00 pm for a 6:30 start.
 
Lake residents and other boaters are encouraged to decorate their pontoon boat or other watercraft for an evening of fun prior to the fireworks display that will be presented earlier that same evening. There is no particular theme and the parade is open to anyone.  Use your skill and creative talent to come up with a prize winning entry or just participate for the fun of it.  Remember, we are honoring American independence, so get the creative juices flowing.  Some things that have special appeal to the judges include:  costumes, music, lights, animation and special effects.
 
Parade participates are requested to muster and register at the north side of the lake.  Look for the boat with the Grand Marshal banner to receive your registration number and instructions at 6:00 pm, but NO LATER THAN 6:15 FOR A PROMPT 6:30 BOAT PARADE START.  
 
Merchandise certificates courtesy of High’s Marine and the Lake of the Woods Improvement Association will be awarded to the top 4 boats. We look forward to your participation in making this the best Boat Parade EVER.  Please join us.  Let’s try and make this the year that will top 2009, when we had 20 boats participate!
 
PLEASE JOIN US THIS YEAR !!!!!!

​Barbara and Gary were high school sweet hearts from Beaver Local High School in Lisbon, Ohio! They were both previously married and divorced and they re-found each other on a high school website. They  dated long distance for 2 years before they married in 2005.
Barbara has worked full time for Special-Lite, Inc. for 27 years. She is currently the Director of Continuous Improvement Department.
Gary was living in Arizona prior to their marriage that took place in Glendale, AZ. Because of Barbara’s job he moved to Michigan. She says he suffered culture shock over the next year!  So Barbara took a position of Territory Manager with Special-Lite and they moved back to Arizona. They stayed there from 2006 to 2014. Barbara missed her children so when she was offered a promotion, Gary agreed to move back to Michigan so she could take the position. They moved to Lake of the Woods in July 2014.
Barbara has 2 grown children and 3 grandchildren in Michigan.  Gary has a daughter in North Carolina,  and 3 grandchildren and a son in Phoenix with one grandson.
Gary is a retired minister. But he continues to help congregations and people in that capacity. He also works part time at Energy Suppliers where they separate methanol from dirty water. And he also is a board member for the Lake of the Woods Improvement Association.
Gary loves to take road trips with his 2005 Harley Davidson Road King. He also likes to bicycle, kayak, and watching collegiate wrestling. His son-in-law was an Olympic wrestler and is now a Division One wrestling coach.
Barbara likes to play cards and Mahjong with her friends from Ohio. She also likes to go on road trips with Gary.
They both like to swim the big channel here on LOW.
This last winter Gary and Barbara bought a house at The Villages in Florida!  They love riding around in their golf cart and all the activities there. Some day they hope to retire there.