What is pH? pH stands for “potential for Hydrogen.” It measures how acidic or basic (alkaline) a liquid is. pH ranges on a scale from 0 (very acidic) to 14 […]
Author: Kiersten Garside
Water hardness
What is water hardness? Water hardness measures the amount of dissolved minerals in the water (mostly calcium and magnesium). It is related to alkalinity, as both measure calcium carbonate content. […]
Conductivity
What is conductivity? Conductivity is how we measure the ionic content (such as chloride, nitrate, sulfate, sodium, magnesium, calcium, or iron) in a body of water by measuring the water’s […]
Water clarity (Secchi)
What is water clarity? Secchi readings are an effective way to monitor water clarity in lakes and oceans, but not so helpful for shallow areas or streams. Why is water […]
Chlorine
What is chlorine? Chlorine, on it’s own, is a greenish-yellow, highly reactive and diatomic gas that is almost never found free in nature by itself. When found in freshwater, chlorine […]
Alkalinity
What is alkalinity? Alkalinity is the water’s ability to neutralize acid or resist rapid decreases in pH. Each body of water will have its own typical range of alkalinity. It’s influenced […]
Air temperature
What is air temperature? Air temperature is simply how hot or cold the outside air is. Why is air temperature important for water testing? Measuring environmental variables, like temperature, helps […]
Dissolved oxygen
What is dissolved oxygen? Dissolved oxygen is the amount of gaseous oxygen (O2) present in water. Oxygen dissolves into the water in various ways. It is created by aquatic plants […]
Introducing automated data quality checks!
We’re excited to announce a major new feature on the Water Rangers data platform: automated data quality checks! Automated data checks combined with human review strengthen trust in community-collected data. […]
The 2025 Watershed Reports are here!
Insights that empower, data that drives action The 2025 Watershed Reports have officially launched giving insights on freshwater health in Canada! They are a call to action for all Canadians […]