Water Quality Monitoring
-water color, flow/speed, riverbank condition, wildlife evidence, human interactions, odor, types of vegetation
-smells: gasoline, organic, chemical, dead fish, rotten eggs
-examine the areas surrounding the river by use of senses and maps
-it can vary and that is natural depending on: location, shading, water source, size and depth of water body, speed
-aquatic organisms prefer certain temperatures (preferable low ones)
-higher temps Can kill organisms
-higher temps Mess up photosynthesis
-high temps lower D.O.
-fast water adds D. O. (rapids)
-inconsistent flow can result in more pollution settling in an area
-substances like soil, silt, plant fibers, sawdust, chemicals, coal, and microorganisms can make water cloudy
Positives: small fish can hide easier from predators
Negatives:
-prevents sun from getting to aquatic plants=low photosynthesis=low D.O.
-clogs gills of aquatic organisms and kills them
-can carry harmful microorganisms
-makes it hard for predators to see their prey
-how acidic the water is
-fish survive in a narrow range of pH
-humans can raise the pH by burning fuels that creates acid rain
-corroding metals increases pH
-buffers (protects from) high pH levels
-natural buffers are some types of rocks (limestone)
-New England has rocks that are usually granite which is a poor buffer
-if we get high pH levels (6 – 3) it might mean there has been a lot of rain recently, we have pollution in the air, pollutants running off into the river or we have poor buffers
-all aquatic organisms need D.O.
-produced by: photosynthesis and water traveling through rapids
-low D.O. can be caused by: warm water, dying plants, slow water, large amounts of decomposition because decomposers use oxygen
-is necessary for all living things
-plants need it to grow
-animals get it from eating plants
-excessive decomposition can raise phosphorus levels
-high phosphorus levels can cause algae blooms
-can come from wastes being dumped or run off into the water
-can create undrinkable water
-can come from animal and human waste
-Total Coliform bacteria are beneficial and live in animals (like our large intestines)
-fecal Coliform bacteria are harmful (e-coli are bad)
-high levels might mean that fertilizer from farm land is being washed into the river OR sewage treatment plants aren’t doing a good job
11. Biotic Indexing (see December packet)