iQwtr

The iQwtr app is a companion app for the iQwtr water quality device (required) by BLM. It allows you to take transparency and turbidity measurements of water samples which will be processed by iQwtr.

The iQwtr app guides you trough the process of submitting a water sample for measurement in just a few steps. Once you’ve submitted the measurement iQwtr will process it and notify when the results are ready. Measurements you’ve done are saved in your iQwtr account and available in the app.
With the iQwtr, it is possible to have a qualitative measurement of the water transparency (also known as Secchi Disk Depth SD in meters) and the turbidity (in FNU units). As a rule of thumb one can say the higher the SD, the better the quality, while for turbidity it is the other way around. Water quality is very closely linked to transparency and turbidity as most processes that influence the water quality (like e.g. algal blooms, sediment resuspension, chemical pollution etc.) invariantly lead to a change in transparency and turbidity. Usually surface waters are monitored infrequently and also at only one sample point, although it is known that water quality affecting events can happen within days with a large spatial variability (such as algal blooms).
So by regularly performing iQwtr measurements you can monitor what is actually happening in your local surface waters and assist local water managers or raise awareness in your community. Please note that normal transparency and turbidity values vary between water types (check with your local authorities) although a SD value smaller that 0,4 m and/or a turbidity value >100 FNU are generally considered as bad water quality at least in an ecological sense.

iQwtr water quality devices can be obtained through BlueLeg Monitor in the Netherlands (www.bluelegmonitor.com).