The result is a measurement of water clarity.
Waters become less clear when sediments or algae blooms reduce the water transparency .
We use lakes for a variety of purposes, as water supply uses for drinking and irrigation and for recreational uses including boating, swimming, fishing and aesthetic enjoyment. New research findings from a study conducted at the University of New Hampshire may help change all that. The study by graduate student Julie Gibbs, under the direction of Resource Economics Professor John Halstead, shows lake water clarity has a significant effect on the prices paid for residential properties. In addition, effects of a change in water clarity were shown to have substantial impacts to property values. This translated to between one and almost six percent of the property value.