Mark your calendars, citizen scientists. The 11th annual Secchi Day event is set for Saturday, Aug. 20 at Beaver Lake.
The annual event, organized by Beaver Water District, equips volunteers with Secchi Disks which are devices that are lowered into the lake to measure the transparency or clarity of the water. The volunteers collect samples on their own boats, and bring them back to be recorded on “the Great Wall of Secchi.”
This measurement, when collected over time, is an indicator of the water quality in the lake, which is hugely important considering Beaver Lake is the water source for one in every seven Arkansans.
In addition to the water sample collections, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s 320-gallon Mobile Aquarium will be on hand, there will be kayaks to test drive, a scavenger hunt, free ice cream and hot dogs, giveaways, and other fun experiments and exhibitions to try out at the event.
Volunteer teams will depart from various locations around the lake at 8:30 a.m., and the public is invited to Prairie Creek Park (9300 N. Park Road in Rogers) beginning at 9 a.m. for the educational activities and exhibits.
For more information visit bwdh2o.com, or call Amy Wilson, the district’s director of public affairs, at 479-756-3651.
