What’s App? Two New Water Apps!

By Christina Catanese

Two new water apps have recently app-eared on the scene that will help make the health of local waterways more app-arent to citizens everywhere.  It seems app-ropriate that both have been launched around the 40^th anniversary of the Clean Water Act – yes, we’re still celebrating clean water!

App-ease your app-etite for data by checking out EPA’s new How’s My Waterway App.  This app is a new tool that helps users find information on the condition of their local waters quickly using a smart phone, tablet, or desktop computer.  This tool app-roximates your current location with GPS technology (or you can search for the zip code or city of your choice) and shows the assessment status and reported condition of the nearest streams.  The app is designed to make water quality data available, and its meaning app-arent, to everyone, with plain-English terms and explanations.  How’s My Waterway is app-licable anywhere, from the App-alachian Mountains to App-leton, CA.  More background on the tool is available here.

What waterway is the app-le of your eye?  What did you find when you looked up your waterway on this app?  Was the water quality worth app-lause, or was it more app-alling?

The other new water app, RiverView, gives you a more active role in app-raising the health of your waterway. Developed in partnership with EPA by San Diego-based nonprofit Below the Surface, this app allows anyone to post and view photos of rivers and comment on them using social media, all shown on a map of rivers around the country.  This fall, representatives from EPA hit the water (along with federal agencies, paddling and surfing groups, businesses and non-governmental organizations) to launch the app by paddling the entire length of the Anacostia River through Maryland and Washington D.C.  With this app, everyone can app-ly themselves to documenting visual measurements of the recreational use of their waters.  How app-ealing!

I app-solutely hope you’ll make an app-ointment to show your app-reciation for your local waters and check these apps out!   Don’t be app-rehensive!

And, do you app-rove of my use app puns in this blog entry?  It just seemed app-ropos.

About the Author: Christina Catanese has worked at EPA since 2010, in the Water Protection Division’s Office of Program Support. Originally from Pittsburgh, Christina has lived in Philadelphia since attending the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied Environmental Studies, Political Science, and Hydrogeology. When not in the office, Christina enjoys performing, choreographing and teaching modern dance.

Editor's Note: The opinions expressed in Greenversations are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.