Innovative Solutions for Ecological Health
GREAT LAKES ECOLOGICAL MONITORING LLC
A Certified Veteran-owned Small Business
Who We Are - Great Lakes Ecological Monitoring
Who We Are
Senior-level environmental expertise without the overhead of a large consulting firm.
At Great Lakes Ecological Monitoring, we're dedicated to supporting your environmental goals with a full suite of consulting services designed to navigate complex ecological challenges. Whether you’re conducting an ecological study, managing stormwater, navigating the permitting process, or investigating a site, we bring deep expertise and a commitment to sustainable practices every step of the way. Our team also specializes in grant writing, helping you secure the resources needed to bring impactful environmental projects to life. Let us partner with you to create solutions that benefit both your project and the environment.
Featured Projects
Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District
Lake Sinissippi Association and the Village of Hustisford, Wisconsin
Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District
Great Lakes Ecological Monitoring supports the Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District's long-term biological monitoring program on Badfish Creek, Badger Mill Creek, and the Sugar River in Dane County, Wisconsin. GLEM provides aquatic biological expertise during annual electrofishing surveys, including fish identification and field data collection, and is responsible for analyzing and interpreting fish community data and preparing the District's annual biological survey reports. The assessments evaluate species composition and abundance, trout populations, ecological indicator species, and fish Index of Biotic Integrity (fIBI) scores to track biological conditions and identify changes in stream health over time.Great Lakes Ecological Monitoring has supported the District’s annual electrofishing program on selected streams in Dane County, Wisconsin for the past three years, providing technical assistance and field support for fish community monitoring efforts.
Lake Sinissippi Improvement District
Lake Sinissippi Association and the Village of Hustisford, Wisconsin
Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District
Great Lakes Ecological Monitoring has provided ongoing technical support for the management and improvement of Lake Sinissippi. Working as a subcontractor to Geosyntec, GLEM assisted with development of the Lake Sinissippi Lake Management Plan, which was subsequently approved by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. GLEM continues to assist the Lake Sinissippi Improvement District (LSID) with grant development and implementation of projects identified through the lake management planning process. More recently, GLEM was retained as a subcontractor to Hey and Associates to provide technical support for a dredging design study addressing accumulated sediment within Lake Sinissippi.
Lake Sinissippi Association and the Village of Hustisford, Wisconsin
Lake Sinissippi Association and the Village of Hustisford, Wisconsin
Fox Lake Preservation Organization and the Town of Fox Lake, Wisconsin
Great Lakes Ecological Monitoring played a key role in helping the Lake Sinissippi Association and the Village of Hustisford successfully secure Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Recreational Boating Facilities grant funding for the purchase and installation of a universal-access kayak launch on Lake Sinissippi. GLEM assisted with project development, prepared the grant application and supporting materials, and helped guide the project through the WDNR grant process. The resulting project expanded recreational access to Lake Sinissippi by providing a safer and more accessible way for people of all abilities to launch canoes and kayaks.
Fox Lake Preservation Organization and the Town of Fox Lake, Wisconsin
Fox Lake Preservation Organization and the Town of Fox Lake, Wisconsin
Fox Lake Preservation Organization and the Town of Fox Lake, Wisconsin
Great Lakes Ecological Monitoring played a key role in helping the City of Fox Lake successfully secure Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources grant funding for a universal-access kayak launch on Fox Lake. GLEM developed the grant strategy, prepared the application narrative and supporting materials, coordinated the information necessary for a competitive application, and guided the project through the WDNR grant application process. The resulting grant award is helping the City expand accessible recreational opportunities on Fox Lake.Great Lakes Ecological Monitoring successfully prepared and submitted grant application materials to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to secure funding for a universal kayak launch to be placed on Fox Lake.
Fox Lake Preservation Organization and the City of Fox Lake, Wisconsin
Fox Lake Preservation Organization and the Town of Fox Lake, Wisconsin
Fox Lake Preservation Organization and the City of Fox Lake, Wisconsin
Great Lakes Ecological Monitoring played a key role in helping the City of Fox Lake advance improvements at Clausen City Park, including the acquisition and installation of two new public-access docks. GLEM provided regulatory and grant-development support by preparing the required Wisconsin waterway permit application and developing the City's Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Recreational Boating Facilities grant application and supporting materials. These efforts helped the City secure the necessary regulatory approvals and funding to improve public boating and recreational access at the park.
Parks and Recreation Department, City of Stoughton, Wisconsin
Fox Lake Preservation Organization and the Town of Fox Lake, Wisconsin
Fox Lake Preservation Organization and the City of Fox Lake, Wisconsin
Great Lakes Ecological Monitoring is assisting the City of Stoughton Parks and Recreation Department with environmental investigations supporting development of a proposed kayak waterpark on the Yahara River. GLEM developed and implemented a sediment sampling investigation to characterize riverbed sediments in areas where sediment removal and streambed modifications are proposed. Working in collaboration with Hey and Associates, the team collected sediment samples near Fourth Street, downstream of the Stoughton Mill Pond, and coordinated laboratory analyses to evaluate sediment quality. The resulting data are being used to support project planning, sediment management decisions, and regulatory permitting for the proposed waterpark improvements.
Nakoma Golf Course Sediment Probing and Bathymetric Survey-Ponds B and C
CDM Smith and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy
Great Lakes Ecological Monitoring, working as a subcontractor to Indigo Ecological Design, LLC, is assisting Nakoma Golf Club in Madison, Wisconsin, with the evaluation and management of accumulated sediment and water quality concerns in two golf course ponds. GLEM conducted sediment probing, bathymetric surveys, and sediment coring to characterize sediment conditions and estimate accumulated sediment volumes. Ongoing services include regulatory coordination and permitting support, evaluation of dredging alternatives and beneficial reuse options for dredged material, and assessment of nanobubble technology as a potential approach for improving dissolved oxygen and water quality while reducing conditions that contribute to organic sediment accumulation.ibility evaluation, and assessment of beneficial reuse options for dredged sediments.
CDM Smith and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy
CDM Smith and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy
Great Lakes Ecological Monitoring provides technical and project oversight for fish sampling conducted in support of tissue analysis of common carp and smallmouth bass at the Allied Paper, Inc./Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River Superfund Site in western Michigan. GLEM President Ronald D. French brings more than 25 years of professional experience working on environmental investigations and remediation activities associated with this complex Superfund site. This extensive site-specific knowledge provides valuable perspective in overseeing field activities, understanding contaminant issues, and supporting the collection of high-quality biological data used to evaluate environmental conditions and long-term remediation efforts.Great Lakes Ecological Monitoring provided project oversight of the fish sampling being conducted to support tissue analysis of carp and smallmouth bass at the Allied Paper Kalamazoo River Superfund site in western Michigan.
Water Quality Evaluation Support for Expansion of Elizabethtown Wastewater Treatment Plant, Kentucky
Great Lakes Ecological Monitoring provided analysis of wastewater influent Great Lakes Ecological Monitoring provided technical data analysis in support of an evaluation of the Elizabethtown Wastewater Treatment Plant in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, for Jacobi, Toombs & Lanz Engineers. GLEM analyzed wastewater influent and effluent data, receiving-stream flow and water quality data, and industrial pretreatment information to evaluate treatment plant performance and receiving-water conditions. GLEM also collaborated with DROP Collaborative on data analysis and interpretation, helping integrate multiple environmental and wastewater datasets to support the overall technical evaluation.
City of Osseo, Wisconsin
City of Osseo, Wisconsin
Great Lakes Ecological Monitoring is working with the City of Osseo to evaluate water quality and sediment concerns in Lake Martha and pursue Wisconsin DNR grant funding for future improvements. GLEM is providing technical and grant-development assistance to help the City better understand existing lake conditions, evaluate sediment management options, and develop practical strategies for improving the lake's water quality, recreational use, and long-term management.
Who We Are - Great Lakes Ecological Monitoring LLC.
Work Experience
Business Certifications
Business Certifications
Ronald D. French, President and Founder of Great Lakes Ecological Monitoring LLC, has more than 35 years of environmental consulting experience addressing complex water quality, aquatic ecology, sediment, and natural resource issues. His experience includes lake and stream assessments, fish and macroinvertebrate surveys, water quality and
Ronald D. French, President and Founder of Great Lakes Ecological Monitoring LLC, has more than 35 years of environmental consulting experience addressing complex water quality, aquatic ecology, sediment, and natural resource issues. His experience includes lake and stream assessments, fish and macroinvertebrate surveys, water quality and sediment investigations, ecological risk assessment, environmental impact analysis, toxicity studies, constructed wetland design, regulatory support, and management of large-scale environmental remediation projects. Ron brings extensive field, technical, and project management experience to each assignment, providing clients with practical, science-based solutions to environmental challenges. He is a Board Certified Environmental Scientist (BCES) through the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists and a Certified Lake Manager (CLM).
Business Certifications
Business Certifications
Business Certifications
The State of Wisconsin certifies that Great Lakes Lakes Ecological Monitoring LLC is a Wisconsin Veteran Owned Business. We are verified by the Department of Veteran Affairs as a Veteran-Owned Small Business, and is registered in SAM.gov.
Our Expertise
Business Certifications
Our Expertise
Great Lakes Ecological Monitoring provides clients with direct access to senior-level environmental expertise while collaborating with experienced environmental scientists, biologists, geologists, botanists, engineers, and other specialists when additional expertise is needed. This flexible approach allows GLEM to tailor services to each
Great Lakes Ecological Monitoring provides clients with direct access to senior-level environmental expertise while collaborating with experienced environmental scientists, biologists, geologists, botanists, engineers, and other specialists when additional expertise is needed. This flexible approach allows GLEM to tailor services to each project while working efficiently with regulatory agencies, focusing investigations on the information necessary to support sound decisions and avoiding unnecessary studies, costs, and delays.
