The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) released an easy-to-use app to help them study the state's water quality.

According to the Arizona Capitol Times, the app, called Arizona Water Watch, grabs a user's location through geocoding (a location's geographical coordinates), requests uploaded photos of the nearby waterway and then asks questions about it. Questions include "Is this a lake or a stream?" "Is water present?" "Is there trash?" "Is there any bloom of algae?"

ADEQ is hoping this app will turn people into "citizen scientists" to help them with their work to track area water quality.

We often encourage people to get to know their local water to understand their own water quality, and this is an excellent example of ways that can be done.

*Arizona Capitol Times photo