Secchi Day: Bridging the Gap between Source and Tap

Abstract

Individual knowledge of the source of one's drinking water is imperative in preserving that source for future generations. Ensuring that drinking water sources remain viable is a goal that researchers, water treatment managers, and water quality conservationists can work toward for the entirety of a career. However, without public buy-in, the monumental task of source water protection, in the face of cultural eutrophication, would not be possible. In an effort to educate the citizenry of Northwest Arkansas about the source of their safe, clean drinking water, Beaver Water District has initiated Secchi Day on Beaver Lake, a citizen science engagement program, now in its 13th year, that aims to bridge the gap between source and tap. One of the most difficult aspects of a citizen science project as large as this one is the recruitment and retention of interested volunteers that help build this valuable long-term data set. We hope that you will learn from our mistakes and successes and find helpful information that you can use to bolster support for your own project.