1. Key Terms and Links

Last updated on 2022-12-02

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• EnviroDIY: A community for do-it-yourself environmental science and monitoring. EnviroDIY is part of WikiWatershed®, a web toolkit designed to help citizens, conservation practitioners, municipal decision-makers, researchers, educators, and students advance knowledge and stewardship of fresh water.
• WikiWatershed: WikiWatershed, an initiative of Stroud™ Water Research Center, is a web toolkit designed to help citizens, conservation practitioners, municipal decision-makers, researchers, educators, and students advance knowledge and stewardship of fresh water.
• Mayfly Data Logger: User-programmable microprocessor board that is fully compatible with the Arduino IDE software; data logger used in EnviroDIY Monitoring Station.
• SL###: EnviroDIY Monitoring Station ID (“Logger ID”), Stroud Logger 0-# – Running tally of all EnviroDIY Monitoring Stations that have been built and deployed by Stroud Water Research Center. Each individual EnviroDIY Monitoring Station has a unique SL number.
• Site ID: Stroud Center-assigned site identification used for preparing and processing samples and general accounting.
• Time-series data: Data points collected over time at equally spaced intervals. For EnviroDIY Monitoring Stations measurements are recorded every five minutes.
• Continuous data: Term used interchangeably with “time-series data” — refers to the continuous stream of data generated at specific time intervals.
• Discharge: Quantity of water flowing in a stream over time (m³/s or ft³/s).
• Turbidity: Measure of light passage through water (i.e., measure of the cloudiness of water). Measured in Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) and others (e.g., JTU, FNU).
• Conductivity: Electrical conductivity — measure of how well water conducts electricity — directly related to the amount dissolved material (ions) in the water.  Measured as microsiemens per centimeter (μS/cm).
• CTD: Conductivity (μS/cm), Temperature (degC), Depth (mm) — refers to the sensor that measures these parameters.
• Chloride (Cl^–): Anion (negative charge) part of common road salt (NaCl) — commonly measured (mg/L) in streams to assess road salt inputs.
• Total Suspended Solids (TSS) : Concentration (mg/L) of undissolved materials in water, includes sediment (sand, silt), organic debris, and any other particles that do not dissolve in water.
• Supplemental sampling: Term used here to indicate additional sampling intended to enhance EnviroDIY Monitoring Station data — primary intention is for supplemental data to be used for developing rating curves.
• Rating curve: Graph and correlation of one variable against another on x- and y-axes.  Once developed, the relationship is used to infer information about one variable based on the other — here, discharge is inferred based on depth, TSS based on turbidity, and chloride based conductivity.
• EnviroDIY Monitoring Station Parts List: Comprehensive parts list for building an EnviroDIY Monitoring station, with price and vendor information.
• Field Visit Data Form: General data sheet used for recording EnviroDIY Monitoring Station management actions, grab sample collection information, and other key sampling information.
• Stream Discharge Data Form: Data sheet used for recording measurements used for calculating discharge.
• Cross-Section Discharge Form: Data sheet used for delineating stream cross-section profile for use in predicting wetted cross-sectional area in unwadeable conditions.
• Discharge Rating Curve Calculator: Excel spreadsheet developed by Stroud Water Research Center into which Stream Discharge Data form data are entered, discharge is calculated, and rating curve generated.
• Stage to Area Predictor: Excel spreadsheet developed by Stroud Water Research Center that contains channel profile information and which calculates predicted wetted cross-sectional area for use in estimating discharge in unwadeable conditions (used in association with Discharge Rating Curve Calculator).
• Load Calculator: Excel spreadsheet developed by Stroud Water Research Center that uses rating curve equations and time-series data from EnviroDIY Monitoring Station to calculate TSS and chloride loads.
• MonitorMyWatershed.org: Web data portal to which all data from EnviroDIY Monitoring Stations with cellular coverage are transmitted.
• Campbell OBS-3+ Turbidity sensor: Turbidity sensor made by Campbell Scientific — measures turbidity in Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) (this sensor was discontinued by the manufacturer in 2020).
• Meter Hydros 21 CTD sensor: Conductivity, Temperature, Depth sensor made by Meter Group (formerly Decagon CTD-10).
• Hologram: Technology company providing cellular data plans for transmitting data on the internet.