The 2006 Great Secchi Dip-In is now underway all across the United States and you can be part of this annual event that encourages people to check water quality in lakes and ponds.

This year’s Dip-In is from June 24-July 16, and is a time where volunteers, schools, and any other organization can gather at their local lake to monitor the clarity and health of the lake.

Lakes are a vital ecosystem throughout the United States and the world. They provide a habitat different than that of flowing streams or wetlands. They also have unique characteristics that require different monitoring techniques than those typically performed.

One such parameter most commonly monitored in lakes is clarity. A lake with more clarity is healthier because it allows sunlight to penetrate to a deeper depth. With more sunlight penetration, the plants found at the bottom of the lake can undergo photosynthesis, supplying the rest of the organisms in the lake with oxygen. Clearer water provides benefits to plants, which means healthier ecosystems in and around the lake.

Lake clarity is measured by a device called a Secchi Disc that is lowered into the water. Observations are made on the clarity of the water as it is lowered into the lake.

Data collected from all over the U.S. will be entered into the data table at the Kent State University website. Pennsylvania volunteers are also encouraged to enter their data into PA’s watershed data warehouse.

For questions about the Dip-In, contact Barb Lathrop at the Department of Environmental Protection, 717-772-5651 or blathrop@state.pa.us.

7/2/2006