Arizona residents and visitors can now help protect Arizona’s waterbodies using their smart phones.
KAWC’s Stephanie Sanchez has the details.
The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality has released the Arizona Water Watch app which allows iPhone or Android users to inform ADEQ scientists about lakes, rivers and other waters in the state.
ADEQ environmental scientist Meghan Smart, who runs the program said it’s a fun and educational activity for the public.
“For example, at the Colorado river, is water present? So you would click yes and then it would ask you some follow up questions," Smart said. "What color is the water right then? and it could be clear or brown or you say if it was raining. Then it hones in on more answers as you follow through and then at the end you take a picture and then you can geolocate where you are.”
Smart said scientists will use the data to discover and analyze water quality issues, update flow data and identify waterbodies for future studies.
“I’m really excited about this tool because I think it enables the public to make great observations that can really help us," Smart said. "Everybody is willing to contribute and it’s easy...it really takes a few minutes.”
Once the submission is verified, the data will be plotted on a GIS map along with data from other Citizen Scientists.
To access the free mobile app download Survey123 for ArcGIS from the iTunes app store or Google Play or visit the ADEQ website http://azdeq.gov/arizona-water-watch-mobile-app