Participate in the 2019 Secchi Dip-In!

It’s summer and that means it’s time to head to your favorite lake or pond. What better way to kick things off than to take part in the annual Secchi Dip-In?

You’re invited to celebrate Lakes Appreciation Month in July by participating in the 2019 Secchi Dip-In! This year marks the 26th anniversary of the Dip-In and the 154th anniversary of the first use of the Secchi disk by Father Pietro Angelo Secchi.

We’re making changes to update the Secchi Dip-In website and database, so please note other ways you can contribute to the database while we work to complete online forms for the new Ambient Water Quality Monitoring System (AWQMS). Thanks in advance for your patience!

 

Share Your Knowledge

We’d love your help to make the 2019 Secchi Dip-In a success!

 

What you can do:

  • Organize – Work through your local lake or watershed association or use SciStarter to plan a social event. Create and distribute advertisements locally.
  • Prepare to take measurements by watching the NALMS student-produced “How to Take a Secchi Depth” video.
  • Share your activities on social media! Make sure to use our hashtags – #SDI2019, #LakesAppreciation
  • Submit your data to the Secchi Dip-In Database. There are a few ways you can do this:
    • Secchi Dip-In Spreadsheet: The folks at AWQMS have developed a spreadsheet template that can be downloaded, filled in, and returned to NALMS via email.
    • Lake Observer App: You can also 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.
    • Secchi Dip-In Paper Form: If you prefer the old-fashioned way of entering your data on a paper form, you can download a copy of the paper form here and send it to us via email or regular mail (instructions provided on the form).
    • Even for those using the spreadsheet or the app, we recommend also recording your observations on a paper form or in a field notebook.
    • Please submit data via the app or one of the other methods listed here – but not both!
  • Feedback –Share your thoughts and photos! Email secchidipin@nalms.org.

Please note: although the official Dip-In takes place during Lakes Appreciation Month in July, we gladly welcome Secchi data from any time of year!