Who Should Volunteer

Everyone! All are welcome to join this program to learn more about their lake! And it’s absolutely FREE! All that we require of the volunteer is that they have access to a boat with an anchor and are dedicated to making regular monitoring trips.

The VLMP is a network of lake enthusiasts from many different backgrounds. The program consists of public water supply personnel, college professors and their classes, private citizens that may or may not live on the lake they monitor, forest preserve district employees, state workers, retirees, lake associations and any number of other categories you can imagine. The VLMP currently averages over 300 volunteer monitors on approximately 150 lakes annually. Over time, that has added up to over 2,000 volunteers monitoring over 400 Illinois lakes!

We also welcome public or private lakes of any size!

It's easy! If you are interested in joining the Illinois Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program, fill out our online registration form. (Note: You will need to download the form and open it in Adobe Acrobat Reader, as it will not open properly in your web browser.) Keep in mind our monitoring season is from May through October. Trainings take place in May, so the best time to sign up is January through March of the year you are interested in starting your monitoring program. We do, however, want to hear from all interested volunteers throughout the year! Call or E-mail us. We'll let you know your options if you miss the registration period.

If you have any questions, please contact the Statewide Coordinator at:

Phone: 217-782-3362
E-mail:  Tara Norris