⇒ Turn off the faucet in your

bathroom while you brush your

teeth.
⇒ Take shorter
showers.
⇒ Don’t let the
water run
constantly while
you’re washing or
rinsing dishes.
⇒ Fill a pitcher with faucet
water and put it in the fridge,
rather than running the tap
every time you want a cold
drink.
⇒ Clean sidewalks & driveways Turbidity measures how clear
with a broom--not the water
hose!
the water is - or isn’t.
⇒ Instead of pouring hazardous
Turbid means there is a lot
chemicals down the drain, use of debris, silt or other stuff
them up so there is only an floating around. That makes
empty container remaining.
West Virginia Conservation Agency the water dark and murky,
⇒ Recycle. 1900 Kanawha Blvd., East
Charleston, WV 25305-0193 which makes it difficult for
Phone: 304.558.0382 plants to grow and animals to
Fax: 304.558.0373
breath.
Half of everyone in the United States drinks groundwater everyday.

Why does turbidity often
increase in a stream when
the flow increases?
As the velocity
of water
increases, the
increased energy
of the water can
carry more
sediments. In
very quiet waters, the sediment will
settle out.
Why does turbidity matter
in a stream?
In most streams, turbidity is a
measurement of the amount of
suspended sediment (silt, etc.) in the
stream. Most streams can handle a
certain amount of sediment
(depending on the size and shape of
the stream). However, if a major
source of additional sediment occurs
(from eroding banks or from changes
in land uses) the stream may receive
more sediment than it can transport.
In these cases, the sediment will
settle and may cover up important
habitat for aquatic insects, or
smother the eggs of fish.
All of these activities
may disturb the land
and increase the
potential for erosion.
In all cases, turbidity
Turbidity indicates the clarity or might increase,
“clearness” of the water. The more especially during a rainstorm or if
“murky” the water, the higher the snowmelt runs off over these
turbidity level. Visibility disturbed sites. Irrigation return flows
is limited in a very may carry sediment directly from the
turbid water source. field back to a stream.
The ability of light to
penetrate a body of
One way turbidity is
water is directly related
determined is by
to the turbidity. If only
measuring for clarity
a small amount of light
with a Secchi Disk, a
can pass through, the
white and black disk
light will not reach the entire depth
on a calibrated line
of the water. Light penetration is
that is lowered into
important to aquatic habitats.
the water until it can no longer be
Submerged plants need light for
seen. It is then raised until it
growth; the plants give off oxygen
reappears. The average of these two
which helps keep the water
readings is then recorded. A low clarity
environment healthy. Many animals
reading may indicate high turbidity.
depend upon these plants for food. A
high turbidity level can be caused by:
⇒ Logging
⇒ Agriculture
⇒ Construction
⇒ Flooding
⇒ Mining