Lake Huron gets a lot of the glory, but Northeast Michigan couldn’t count as the fantastic Up North getaway it is without its many, many inland lakes, as well.

From Grand Lake to Long Lake to Hubbard Lake and everywhere in between, those bodies of water draw tourists and seasonal residents and add to the quality of life for our year-rounders.

As News staff writer Julie Riddle reported in a recent edition of The News, those lakes depend on an army of volunteers who help the Michigan Department of Great Lakes, Energy, and Environment keep them healthy.

EGLE’s trained volunteer Clean Water Corps measure water clarity, search for invasive species, test chemical levels, and report data used to keep the lakes safe for its residents to use and enjoy.

To those volunteers, we say thank you.

However, the state and its lakes need more help. Corps members currently collect data only from Beaver Lake in Alpena County, Avery Lake and East and West Twin Lakes in Montmorency County, and Cedar Lake and Hubbard Lake in Alcona County.

To anyone who regularly uses any other lakes, we encourage you to consider signing up to help out.

Doing so would help protect our inland lakes, and doing that benefits not only Mother Nature but the quality of life for everyone in Northeast Michigan.