4th Annual Secchi Day set for this Saturday

Hanging out at the lake on a summer Saturday is where it’s at. Being a citizen scientist is also pretty cool. And for anyone who wants to combine the two, tomorrow’s your chance as the Beaver Water District holds its fourth annual Secchi Day on Saturday, August 29, 2009.

Beginning at 9am on Beaver Lake at the East and West Shelters at Prairie Creek, teams of boats will depart from four launch sites to take water quality measurements and you could be on one of those boats if you so desire. In fact, you’d be more than welcomed because volunteers are still being sought out.

Secchi Disk

Those participating will use Secchi Disks which are devices that are lowered into the water to measure the transparency or clarity. This measurement, when collected over time, is an indicator of the water quality in the lake which is pretty important considering that Beaver Lake is the source of our drinking water.

Besides being citizen scientists for a day, volunteers will also receive a full stomach as lunch will be provided free of charge to the first 250 attendees. A children’s tent with various activities will be set up and boat tours will be provided for those interested in seeing more of the lake.

Additionally, a Build-A-Barrel workshop will also be held for anyone who’d like to build a rain barrel for collecting water at home. While Secchi Day itself is free and open to the public, the Build-A-Barrel workshop costs $37 but includes all the supplies needed to build a rain barrel.

For more information or to join a team, call 479-717-3807.

4th Annual Secchi Day

When: Saturday, August 29, 2009
Where: Beaver Lake – East and West Shelters at Prairie Creek
Schedule:
8:30am to 11am – Volunteers depart and return for testing
10am to 11am – Children’s tent and boat tours
11:30am – Free lunch (first 250 volunteers)
Build-A-Barrel Workshops: 9am & 10:30am (Call 479-271-1060 to pre-register)
Website: bwdh2o.org
More: Secchi Day coverage at KUAF’s Ozarks at Large.