Waterwatch in Victoria strives to support and promote the strengths of community collected data. The program recognises that monitoring is a long term commitment, and that one of the keys to recruiting community monitors is the subsequent data use for managing for river health.

Waterwatch aims to document the confidence limits of community data, increase the transparency of Waterwatch monitoring activities, and provide greater public access to Waterwatch data.

Waterwatch has initiated a range of projects to support community monitoring and promote data confidence for potential users by:

• producing a number of resources manuals (see Monitoring Manuals page).

• providing quality professional development opportunities for Waterwatch coordinators to better engage and support the community in river health education and monitoring activities.

• developing appropriate data management software to manage community-collected data.

• introducing the QA/QC Mystery Sample program each June (see QA/QC Week reports).

• developing a statewide data confidence framework and guidelines, to identify standard requirements for data collection.

• supporting the development of regional data confidence plans and monitoring methods manuals to transparently document regional monitoring programs.

• making community monitoring data available online beside scientifically-collected water quality and quantity data.

These projects support regional community networks of river health monitors to ensure their efforts continue to be valued, useful and meaningful.