Leveraging Technologies to Empower Citizen Science and Public Involvement with Water Quality, Biological and Environmental Monitoring

Improving and protecting water quality for aquatic life depends on a solid framework for monitoring to protect and restore this beneficial uses. The task is not a simple one nor can it be done cheaply. To fulfill stewardship... [ view full abstract ]

Improving and protecting water quality for aquatic life depends on a solid framework for monitoring to protect and restore this beneficial uses. The task is not a simple one nor can it be done cheaply. To fulfill stewardship missions, NGO’s and agencies need to find innovative ways to become more efficient, productive and expand our programs at a lower cost. Promoting and supporting citizen monitoring (citizen science + volunteer monitoring) with the use of wed-based and portable digital tools can be a huge asset. The use of internet based resources and portable apps has been instrumental to the success of the Clean Water Team in helping volunteer monitors reach their goals. To meet the demand for supporting, educating and training volunteer staffed programs the Clean Water Team and its partners have been using and developing various digital tools (guidance documents, SOP’s, QAPP advisor, virtual instruction modules, educational and training videos, digital reference collections, apps, devices….). These new and emerging technologies offer ways to provide better services to citizen monitors so that aquatic biodiversity can be improved and protected. The program’s efforts have supported the acquisition of usable data of known quality, expanded agency databases, the continuation of government-NGO partnerships, and provided increased value to citizen monitoring efforts in California’s watersheds. The expansion and popularity of maker groups, meet-ups, and STEM programs concerned with science and nature offer greater potential for leveraging technology for future citizen science efforts with water quality monitoring.