Group+C

Stream Study Lab Misty Wes Kendall Kasey Due: 10/25/08 Earth/Environmental Science MWF 3rd

As a class we took a field trip to two different streams to sample water, the Swananoa River and the Catawba River. Stream sampling is effective in determining water quality. We took samples upstream and downstream because the pollutants that could be dropped into the water upstream will run downstream and pollute it as well.
 * Introduction:**

Water quality is important because the human body is 70% water. Water is a vital part of our everyday lives, and the Swananoa River feeds into the Catawba River, which supplies us with our water supply.

In a stream study we took water samples and measured the chemical, biological, and physical aspects of the water to determine water quality. The objective of this lab was to measure the differences in water quality upstream and downstream. Our hypothesis is the water upstream has better water quality than the water downstream.

__Materials needed for lab__: Kits: -Dissolved oxygen -Nitrates -pH -Phosphates -Chlorine -Turbity -Thermometer Other Materials: -Ice trays -Buckets -Kick net -ID Sheet -Hand lens -Tweezers
 * Materials and Methods**:

__Method:__ __ **//Chemical Stream Sampling//** __
 * Step 1**- First, get one of the six kits (//DO, nitrates, pH, phosphates, chlorine,// //and turbidity//.)
 * Step 2**- Take the vial out of the kit and get some sample water; as much as the procedure states.
 * Step 3**- Then, take a tablet out of the kit and put the recommended amount of tablets into the water and vial, depending on the test.
 * Step 4**- After putting the tablets into the vial, let the water and tablet sit for the amount of time instructed, until the tablet dissolves.
 * Step 5**- When the tablet dissolves; compare the color of the water to a sheet with 3 colors on it. Depending on the color of the water matched with the color on the sheet will tell how much (//DO, nitrates, pH, phosphates, chlorine, or turbidity//) is in the water.


 * Step 6-** Record information.
 * //__ Physical Stream Sampling __ //**
 * Step 1-** Take the thermometer and place it upstream. Wait five minutes. Place thermometer downstream. Wait five minutes.


 * Step 2-** Notice the area being sampled. If it is a riffle, the water is flowing over rocks. If it is a run, the water runs, but there are no rocks. A pool is just a still area of the water.


 * Step 3-** Record information.


 * //__ Biological Stream Sampling __//**
 * Step 1**- First, get an empty bucket and fill halfway with water from the stream. Do the same with the ice cube tray.
 * Step 2**- Take the kick net and, with about four others to help, take the two poles and stretch it tightly across an area with a small amount of water flowing.


 * Step 3-** Have someone place rocks at the bottom of the kick net, so no organisms can escape underneath.


 * Step 4**- Next, to catch specimen under rocks, shuffle the rocks around in front of the kick net to loosen them.
 * Step 5-** Wait for approximately five minutes while water runs through the kick net.


 * Step 6-** Carefully take the kicknet out of the water, laying the two poles back and lifing the kick net out of the water parallel to the ground.

Step 7- Splash water on the kick net to see organisms squirm around. That makes the organisms easier to pick out.
 * Step 7-** Take kick net to shore and lay it out. As seen in Figure 1 [[image:PA155397.JPG width="188" height="181" caption="Figure 1"]]


 * Step 8**- Using tweezers, search for any organisms caught in the kick net. Any organisms found should be placed into the bucket halfway filled with water.


 * Step 9-** Try to identify the specimen found by placing similar looking organisms into the same cube slot in the ice cube tray. As seen in Figure 2[[image:PA215499.JPG width="181" height="173" caption="Figure 2 "]]


 * Step 10-** Use the ID sheets to identlfy the specimen further.


 * Step** **11-** Place specimen back into the stream.


 * Step 12-** Record information

Stream: Swananoa Watershed: Mill Creek (Catawba) __Chemical__ DO: 8 ppm Nitrates: 0 ppm pH: 7 Phosphates: 0.5 ppm Chlorine: 0 ppm Turbidity: 0 JTU __Physical__ Temperature: Upstream: 14°C Downstream: 15°C Shade? Yes Riffle, run, and pool.
 * Results:**
 * __Sample 1__**

__Biological:__ //Species in the first column, number of each in the second column.//
 * = Water Penny ||= 6 ||
 * = Stonefly ||= 1 ||
 * = Midge ||= 1 ||
 * = Mayfly ||= 2 ||
 * = Caddisfly ||= 5 ||
 * = Cranefly ||= 1 ||

Stream: Catawba Watershed: Catawba __Chemical__ DO: 4% Nitrates: 1 ppm pH: 9 Phosphates: 1 ppm Chlorine: 0 ppm Turbidity: 0 JTU __Physical__ Temperature: Upstream: 18°C Downstream: 18°C Shade? Partial Run and pool. __Biological__ None collected.
 * __Sample 2__**

The ideal range for dissolved oxygen is 3-6%. Our results fell into the ideal range, at 4%. T he ideal range for nitrate is less than 4ppm. Our results were 0ppm, falling into that ideal range. For the pH the ideal range is 6.5-8.2. Our results were in that ideal range, at 7. The phosphates ideal range is less than 0.1ppm. Our results failed to fall into that range, at 0.5ppm. The ideal range for chlorine is under 0.75ppm. Our results fell into the ideal range, at 0ppm. The ideal range for t urbidity is 0-1JTU. Our results fell into the ideal range, at 0JTU. Phosphates did not fall into the ideal range and the possible problem might be too much rapid plant growth. The possible sources of this may be fertilizers from agriculture, wastewaters, and industries. The Swananoa River wher we sample was beside a horse pasture and the Catawba River sample was beside a car dealership and department store. The benthic organisms that we found in the Swananoa River were pollution-intolerant, which means they only live in good water quality.
 * Discussion**:

The water quality at our first site (Swananoa River) was good in all of the aspects we measured, physical, chemical and biological. The second site (Catawba River) we tested did not have as good of a water quality as the first site. The dissolved oxygen was the same at both sites. The nitrates went from 0 to 1. The pH went from 7 to 9. The phosphates went from 0 to 1. The chlorine and turbidity stayed the same. The temperature went up four degrees Celsius.



We accept our hypothesis that the water quality is better upstream than it is downstream.