The Michigan Clean Water Corps (MiCorps) is a network of volunteer water quality monitoring programs in Michigan. MiCorps was administered by the Great Lakes Commission through 2020 under the direction of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and in partnership with the Huron River Watershed Council, Michigan Lakes and Streams Association, and Michigan State University. MiCorps consists of two main programs – the Volunteer Stream Monitoring Program (VSMP) and the Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program (CLMP). The CLMP is the second oldest volunteer lake monitoring program in the country and has been an important component of Michigan’s inland lakes monitoring program for over 40 years.

MiCorps seeks to support and expand the number of volunteer water quality monitoring organizations statewide for the purpose of collecting, sharing, and using reliable data for surface water bodies (inland lakes and streams); educating and informing the public about water quality issues; and fostering stewardship to facilitate the preservation and protection of Michigan’s water resources. MiCorps offers training opportunities for both current and aspiring MiCorps volunteers and holds an annual conference each fall for volunteer monitoring program leaders, citizen volunteers, water resource professionals, and others interested in the health and protection of Michigan’s rivers, lakes, and streams. Programs such as MiCorps offer many benefits and also help to extend the reach of data collection around the state in a more cost-effective manner than could be accomplished through state agency staff, alone.