---
title: Turbidity
description: "## Summary Turbidity measures the cloudiness or haziness of water caused by suspended particles. In AMD-impacted watersheds, turbidity can indicate metals precipitation, erosion, or other disturbances. This page explains what turbidity measures and how it is assessed. --- Turbidity refers…"
url: "https://aml-connect.org/aml-knowledge-base/chemical-monitoring-turbidity/"
updated: "2026-03-13"
category: Watershed Tools and Methods / Water Monitoring / Chemical Monitoring
---

# Turbidity

## Summary

Turbidity measures the cloudiness or haziness of water caused by suspended particles. In AMD-impacted watersheds, turbidity can indicate metals precipitation, erosion, or other disturbances. This page explains what turbidity measures and how it is assessed.

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Turbidity refers to the dissolved solids in the water, which you can see. Cloudy water is said to have a high turbidity level. Common causes of turbidity are erosion, runoff, waste discharge and algal growth. Turbidity is usually determined using a black and white disk, lowered into the water until the white is no longer visible. The depth at which the disk can no longer be seen is indicative of the turbidity.

Other tests, including and/or in addition to those described above, may be appropriate for the watershed in your area. The indicators the were chosen as points of study while making your monitoring plan are a good way to decide what tests need to be performed.

Turbidity from Water on the Web http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow/under/parameters/turbidity.htm l

Turbidity from Water SHEDDS http://h2osparc.wq.ncsu.edu/info/turbid.htm l

Water Quality Monitoring: Turbidity from Friends of Five Creeks http://www.fivecreeks.org/monitor/turbidity.htm l

USGS Water Resources--Office of Water Quality National Field Manual Chapter 6.7 Turbidity (pdf) http://water.usgs.gov/owq/FieldManual/Chapter6/Section6.7.pdf

**Sources/Links (as provided in the source text):**

- http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow/under/parameters/turbidity.htm
- http://h2osparc.wq.ncsu.edu/info/turbid.htm
- http://www.fivecreeks.org/monitor/turbidity.htm
- http://water.usgs.gov/owq/FieldManual/Chapter6/Section6.7.pdf

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## Related Pages

- [Developing a Monitoring Plan](/docs/developing-a-monitoring-plan) -- Structuring your monitoring program

## Source and Last Reviewed

Source: AMR Clearinghouse (amrclearinghouse.org). Migrated to AML-Connect. Last Reviewed: 2026-03-13.

**Tags:** monitoring, sampling, education