Transcript Stream Pollution Assessment of Beaver Creek

Stream Pollution Assessment
of Beaver Creek
By Joe Wendtland and Loyal
Wergedal
Overview of Project
• Conducted in Eau Claire County, Fall Creek
Wisconsin
• From October 2000 to May 2001.
• Worked with Paul Tweed, biology teacher
of Augusta and Scott Thiel, science teacher
at Altoona and Beaver Creek Reserve and
staff.
Why we chose the stream?
• We can’t see inside the stream, like we can
on the ground.
• Find what is in our water.
• See how pollution affects our water and the
living organisms that live in the water as
well.
Hypothesis
• Beaver Creek Watershed
has a good water quality
rating.
What is our project?
•
•
•
•
Insects
Fish
Chemicals
Temperatures
Insect collections
• Disrupt stream bottom
into D-framed net
• Empty all of contents
into collection pan
• Remove 100 insects
randomly (to avoid a
bias collection)
Use a D-framed net
Identify the Family of Each
Insect
• Some determinates of
insect families
include: body shape,
gill structure, wings,
mandible, and
abdomen.
• Use FBI key by
looking at these
features
FBI Results
0- 10 scale (0- perfect 10-terrible)
Site
Fall Rating
Spring Rating
Site 1
Very Good (3.63)
Very Good (4.40)
Site 2
Excellent (2.97)
Excellent (3.38)
Site 3
Excellent (3.12)
Excellent (3.32)
Temperature
• Change in stream temperature between the
hobos.
• Temperature recorded by hobos, small
devices that records temperature every 4
hours.
• Placed 2 hobos in the stream one mile apart
• Placed 1 above the stream
Why Collect Temperature Data
• Correlation between fish and temperature
• Correlation between dissolved oxygen and
temperature
• Change is temperature between two hobos
in stream
Chemical Tests
• Collect Water Samples from 2 sites
• Analyze in Lab for concentrations
• Decipher change
Nitrate Information
•
•
•
•
NO3
Found in farm fertilizers
Promotes plant growth
Too much pollution causes a decrease in
oxygen
• U.S. Public Health Service only allows 10
mg/L. in public drinking water
20
20
01
00
2/ 001
1/
2/ 200
12 1
/2
3/ 00
14 1
/2
4/ 001
3/
4/ 200
10 1
/2
00
1
/2
3/
5/
17
1/
/1
1/
12
mg/L
Nitrate Levels
5
4
3
2
1
0
Site 1
Site 2
Collection Dates
Phosphate Information
•
•
•
•
PO4
Found in fertilizers and pesticides
Stimulates plant growth
.1 mg/L. is recommended maximum for
rivers and streams
Collection Dates
4/1
0/2
1
1
00
1
01
00
00
/20
4/2
1
01
00
/20
2/2
4/3
3/1
2/1
2/1
7/2
01
00
/20
/20
1/3
/15
1/1
12
mg/L
Phosphate Levels
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
Site 1
Site 2
Turbidity
• Measure of sediment in water
• Enables us to determine whether erosion or
excessive growth is taking place
Collection Dates
4/1
0/2
1
1
00
1
01
00
00
/20
4/2
1
01
00
/20
2/2
4/3
3/1
2/1
2/1
7/2
01
00
/20
/20
1/3
/15
1/1
12
FTU
Turbidity Levels
20
15
10
5
0
Site 1
Site 2
Dissolved Oxygen Information
•
•
•
•
O2 dissolved in water
Diffusion from surrounding air
Photosynthesis
Reduced by decomposition of excessive
plant growth
Dissolved Oxygen Levels
20
mg/L
15
Site 1
Site 2
10
5
0
1/17/2001 2/1/2001 2/12/2001 4/3/2001 4/1/2001
Collection Dates
Fish Collections
• Placed 2 minnow
traps one mile apart
at Field Station
• Collected every 4-7
days
• Measured and
identified each
minnow
Common Minnows Found
-Northern Redbellied Dace
Phoxinus eos
Central Mudminnow
Umbra Limi
Summary
• From chemical tests we found stream has
high phosphate levels but all other tests
indicated good quality
• Insect tests indicated overall good quality
with minimal change
• Temperature data fluctuated normally
• Minnows found were typical of habitat
Concerns
• Tests valid
• Phosphate levels
• Future interests in the Beaver Creek
Watershed
Closing Comments
• More work than we had anticipated.
• Great class, but students must be committed
because this individual work.
• Only factor that would make this class even
better is more time.