The 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 Secchi Dip-In during Lakes Appreciation Month, where we celebrate our lakes throughout the month of July each year.

COVID-19 Guidance for Volunteer Lake Monitoring

Did you know? We welcome data year-round!

Get Involved!

Organize

Work through your local lake or watershed association or use SciStarter to plan a socially-distanced 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:

Secchi Dip-In Online Database: 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

Lake Observer App: 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.

Secchi Dip-In Spreadsheet: The folks at Gold Systems/AWQMS have developed a spreadsheet template that can be downloaded, filled in, and returned to NALMS via email. Check out our how-to video on how to use the template!

Download the US Lakes Spreadsheet Template (45 MB)

Download the Canada Lakes Spreadsheet Template (15 MB)

Caution: These are very large files! Please be sure to delete any locations you aren’t using from the Waterbodies-Locations Lookup tab of the spreadsheet before entering your data into the spreadsheet. Doing so will make it easier to enter your location information, make your data file much smaller for email, and make it easier for us to import.

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 via the app or one of the other methods listed above … but not more than one!

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. June 15, 2016. Photographed by Vanessa M. Snyder.

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!

 

Thank you to our Secchi Dip-In program partners!