The Robert Carlson Secchi Dip-In is a demonstration of the potential of volunteer monitors to gather environmentally important information on our lakes, rivers, and estuaries. Volunteers have been submitting information during the annual Dip-In since 1994. Please join them in this international effort to track changes in water quality! Although we gladly welcome data year-round, we have historically observed the Dip-In during Lakes Appreciation Month, where we celebrate our lakes throughout the month of July each year.
Did you know? We welcome data year-round!
Get Involved!
Organize
Work through your local lake or watershed association to plan a Dip-In event. Create and distribute advertisements locally.
Prepare
Prepare to take measurements by watching the NALMS student-produced video, “How to Take a Secchi Depth”.
Share
Share your activities on social media! Make sure to use our hashtags – #SecchiDipIn, #LakesAppreciation
Submit
Submit your data to the Secchi Dip-In Database. There are a few ways you can do this:
Lake Observer App
Recommended for most users.
You can participate in the Secchi Dip-In and support lake-monitoring efforts by submitting your data through the Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network’s (GLEON) Lake Observer App. You can use a mobile app, the new web-based data entry form or a batch data entry form (registration and login is required). Training videos for downloading and using the mobile app to submit data to the Secchi Dip-In can be found here: https://www.lakeobserver.org/guide.
Submit Your Data Using Lake Observer

AWQMS
Recommended for volunteer monitoring coordinators.
Enter your data for the Secchi Dip-In using the data entry system provided by Gold Systems/AWQMS.
This is a newer data entry system for the Dip-In, so Dip-In accounts created prior to 2020 will not work. Please refer to our How-To Videos page for instructions on how to set up your account.
Submit Your Data USING AWQMS
Please submit via the app or one of the other methods listed above … but not more than one!
Do you have a large data set to submit to the Dip-In? Contact us at secchidipin@nalms.org and we’ll help you add your data.
Explore
Explore the new Secchi Dip-In database via the AWQMS public portal or download data from the Water Quality Portal.
Feedback
Share your thoughts and photos! Email secchidipin@nalms.org.

Yellowwood Lake, Yellowwood State Forest, Monroe County, Indiana. Photographed by Vanessa M. Snyder on June 15, 2016.
Thank you to our Secchi Dip-In program sponsors!



Become a Sponsor
Thank you to our Secchi Dip-In program partners!