Welcome to the Buffalo River! As a scientist, your goal for today is to explore, discover, and observe everything you can about your sample site.

Transcription

1 Cayuga Creek Buffal River Buffal Creek Lake Erie Cazenvia Creek Welcme t the Buffal River! As a scientist, yur gal fr tday is t explre, discver, and bserve everything yu can abut yur sample site. Taking data is like taking a snapsht f the Buffal River: temperature, weather, plants, animals and chemistry are all part f that picture. Carefully cllect yur data and recrd yur findings. Investigate envirnmental clues that might help yu t understand r explain yur data. Gd luck! Name: Sample Site: Circle yur waterway: Buffal River Buffal Creek Cayuga Creek Cazenvia Creek

2 P a g e 1 Equipment: turbidity tube, measuring cup, waders, life jacket, Activity 1 Instructins Time Reading 1 Reading 2 Average in. cm. in. cm. in. cm. Cnversins Centimeters = inches x 2.54 Inches = cm x Hw turbid is the water? Mark yur bservatin n the line. Clear Mstly clear Half & Half Cludy Extremely cludy : Circle all that apply. OBSERVATION LIKELY CAUSE Light brwn water (muddy r cludy) Mud, silt r sand n the river bttm may result frm runff frm cnstructin sites r bank ersin Green water: dark green r blue-green Multi-clr film ver water surface Fam flating n water surface Bubbles rising t surface Organic pllutin is being released int the water, feeding algae and causing them t grw. Oil r gasline spill If white in clr and ver 3 inches high, indicates fertilizer/detergent pllutin Anaerbic respiratin: bacteria digest leaves etc. which creates gas bubbles.

3 P a g e 2 Equipment: air thermmeter, cmpass, flagging tape, anemmeter, sand timer, Activity 2 Instructins 1. Weather Time Air Temperature F Air Temperature C Temperature Cnversins C = x ( F - 32) F = (1.8 x C) + 32 Clud cver: (check ne) Clear (0-25%) Partly cludy (26-50%) Mstly cludy (51-75%) Overcast (76-100%) Precipitatin: (check all that apply) 2. Wind G Nne G Rain G Snw G Rain and snw G Other: Wind directin: Wind Speed: rtatins per minute Describe the river water: (check ne) Virtually flat Calm, slightly wavy Rippled Chppy/High waves : Cause and Effect Describe the weather cnditins fr the last three days. Were there any heavy rains, extreme temperatures, r high winds? Hw culd these cnditins affect the water quality?

4 P a g e 3 Equipment: measuring tape, meter stick, field guides, Activity 3 Instructins 1. Using the list belw, describe the land arund yur site. Estimate t the nearest 5%. % % huses (urban/residential) frest % beach % marsh/swamp % industrial/cmmercial % recreatinal (playgrunds, sprts) % rads r parking lts % ther: = 100% Draw/identify a plant fund at yur site. 2. Shreline appearance (check all that apply): Beach area Marsh Cvered with plants Muddy Pier Debris Pipe entering river Bulkheading (wden timbers r metal plates hlding shre in place) Riprap (large rcks piled up alng the shre) Other: Walk alng the shreline and list the items yu find (bth man-made and natural): 3. What is the water depth at the sample site? in. / cm. 4. River bttm is mstly: (check ne) Sandy Muddy Unable t determine Rcky Weedy 5. What percent f the river bttm is cvered with plants? (check ne) 0-25% 26-50% Unable t determine 51-75% % 6. What percent f the river surface is cvered with plants? (check ne) 0-25% 26-50% 51-75% % Describe three ways in which the envirnment at yur sample site can impact water quality either psitively r negatively.

5 P a g e 4 Equipment: water chemistry kit, waders, sand timer, cntainer fr waste chemicals, Activity 4 instructins 1. Nitrate Time Nitrate Level (ppm) 2. Phsphate Time Phsphate Level (ppm) : Cause and Effect D the nitrate levels shw pllutin (abve 4ppm?) (circle ne) Yes N Are the phsphate levels within the healthy range (belw 0.1 ppm, water remained clear)? (circle ne) Yes N List tw pssible causes f increased nitrate r phsphate levels in the river:

6 P a g e 5 Equipment: water thermmeter, meter stick, waders, Activity 5 Instructins Reading 1 Reading 2 Time Depth Temperature Average Temperature Check ff all f the ptential surces f thermal pllutin at yur site. Industry/pwer plant Parking lt/sidewalk Buildings Rad Pipe entering water Other: If yu are near flwing water, identify as many f the water features as yu can using the picture belw. What feature wuld yu predict has the highest temperature? G Pl G Riffle G Run

7 P a g e 6 Equipment: waders, life jackets, scp nets, viewers, shallw tubs, macrinvertebrate ID sheets, field guides, seine net (ptinal), Activity 6 Instructins Macrinvertebrate Species List Species Estimated # Sketch an animal yu saw! List any ther species yu saw (birds, fish, frgs, etc.) Pllutin Tlerance Index Grup 1 Macrinvertebrates: Very Intlerant Grup 2 Macrinvertebrates: Intlerant Grup 3 Macrinvertebrates: Tlerant Grup 4 Macrinvertebrates: Very Tlerant Stnefly Dragnfly Water Strider Puch Snail Mayfly Damselfly Water Mite Aquatic Wrm Caddisfly Scud Crayfish Water Batman Dbsnfly # f checks x 4 # f checks x 3 # f checks x 2 # f checks x 1 Grup Scre = Grup Scre = Grup Scre = Grup Scre = Ttal Scre = Definitins: Intlerant = animal can t live in plluted water. Tlerant = animal can live in plluted water. Water Quality Assessment (circle ne): 23 + = Ptentially Excellent Water Quality = Ptentially Gd Water Quality = Ptentially Fair Water Quality < 10 = Ptentially Pr Water Quality Adapted frm Prject WET, 2011

8 P a g e 7 Equipment: water chemistry kit, waders, water thermmeter, cntainer fr waste chemicals, sand timer, Activity 7 Instructins 1. DISSOLVED OXYGEN Time Water Temperature F DO (ppm) % Saturatin (extra activity) C : Cause and Effect Is the DO within the healthy range (5-11 ppm)? (circle ne) Yes What culd cause DO t change? (Hint: lk at turbidity, water temperature, and wind speed data.) N What effect wuld a decrease in DO have n this ecsystem? Extra Activity: Based n the % saturatin value, is yur water healthy (90% r abve)? Yes N EXTRA ACTIVITY: Disslved Oxygen - Percent Saturatin Pair up the measured ppm f DO with the water temperature ( C). Draw a straight line between the tw values. The percent saturatin is the value where yur drawn line intercepts the angled saturatin scale. Example

9 P a g e 8 2. ph Test Type Time ph Tablet ph Strip ph Strip ph Strip ph Strip ph Strip : Cause and Effect Is the tablet-test ph within the healthy range ( )? (circle ne) Yes N What culd cause the ph f the river t change?

10 Can yu find any evidence f ancient life at yur sample site? P a g e 9