The Water Transparency Project is a citizen science project to measure the water clarity of South Dakota's lakes and streams over time. This project is based on the GLOBE Water Transparency protocol and data is reported to the GLOBE website where it is available to researchers, community members, teachers, and students around the world.
We think of water as transparent. Fill a clear glass with drinking or distilled water and you will be able to see through it. But if you fill that same glass with surface water--water in lakes, rivers, and streams--you may find that the water is more cloudy than clear. There are both natural and human caused reasons for this cloudiness.
An important natural factor in determining water transparency is geology. If the landscape surrounding the water body has a lot of granitic rock like there is in the Black Hills, that water body usually will have clear, transparent water. The rain and snow melt that runs into the river, lake or stream will not erode the rock quickly and will not carry much into the water. However, if the surrounding landscape has a lot of soft sediments like the Badlands, the water body will be very cloudy or turbid since the ground is easily eroded and is washed into the water during rain and snow melt.
Water can also be cloudy due to things like algae growth or microscopic aquatic animals living the water. Surface water (lakes and streams) is a habitat for both plants and animals.
But geology and living organisms are not the only factor in water transparency. Humans can impact the water as well in how they use the land. Crop agriculture disturbs soil increasing erosion while urban development increases hard surfaces so rain and snow melt wash sediment and pollutants into storm drains.
Measuring water transparency using a transparency tube is a low cost, volunteer friendly method to track changes in water clarity over time. The Water Transparency Project uses a modified version of the GLOBE water transparency protocol. GLOBE is an international science and education project sponsored by NASA, NOAA, and the US Department of State.
Any South Dakota resident 18 or older (or younger with parental support) can contribute data to the Water Transparency Project. Volunteers complete training by reviewing resources, selecting a site, and then completing a site registration form. Volunteers can also be trained by participating in an in-person training held in conjunction with other events.
To contribute to the Water Transparency Project complete the following steps:
Read the GLOBE Water Transparency Protocol with annotations.
Review the Transparency Tube Field Guide.
Review the Transparency Tube Data Sheet.
Watch the training video (new version coming June 2022).
Select a monitoring site that is safe and legally accessible. It is strongly recommended you make a visit to your site before registering it as the registration process asks for a detailed site description. Print a copy of the site registration form to take with you so you can answer the water body description questions. (PDF Copy of Site Registration Form)
Complete the site registration form (live form)
Once your site is registered and approved, you will receive a t-tube and set of data sheets. You also have the option of entering the data through the GLOBE app which requires an additional consultation with the project coordinator.
After you receive your equipment, begin monitoring. If you are submitting your data using data sheets, scan/take a photo of your data sheets and email to wtp@sd-discovery.org. You can also mail them to WTP 805 W Sioux Ave. Pierre, SD 57501
By completing the training and requesting equipment you agree to make a water transparency data observation within a calendar year. If no data is submitted, the volunteer agrees to pay for the tube or return it to the Water Transparency Project at their own expense.
Questions? Email wtp@sd-discovery.org for more information.