text: Colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) absorbs light, making the water appear darker or tea-colored. Absorption by CDOM is one measure of water clarity. Clarity can still be quite high in terms of visibility with high amounts of CDOM in the water, but the color of the water will be altered to yellow or brown, and the water will appear darker than water with low CDOM concentrations. CDOM absorbs blue light more strongly than other colors, shifting the color of the water toward the yellow and red part of the visible light spectrum as the water gets darker. For example, in lakes with high CDOM concentrations, the bottom of the lake may be clearly visible to the human eye, but a white surface in the same lake water may appear yellow or brown.