Clarity
What is it? Water clarity is how far sunlight can travel down the water column.
Why is it important? Water clarity can determine how much light is able to reach aquatic vegetation. This is important for aquatic life as the vegetation produces oxygen, habitat, and food for many organisms. Essentially clarity can be an indication of how productive an ecosystem is.
What does it mean? Water clarity is affected by how much suspended sediments are present in the water. In areas with more boat traffic or higher turbidity sediments are more likely to be churned up.