LOCATION: Circle Your Location

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1 SSU WATERS COLLABORATIVE - COPELAND CREEK WATER QUALITY PROJECT WATER QUALITY DATA SHEET Student Names (no name, no credit!): Date: Tests on This DataSheet: Time: Conductivity/TDS Temperature Discharge LabQuest2 Number: Turbidity ph Dissolved Oxygen LOCATION: Circle Your Location SSU Outfall Commerce St Alicia Gauge SSU Bridge Osborn Preserve Pressley Road Hwy 101 SSU Campus Lichau Road GPS Device (circle one): LabQuest2 / Hand-Held GPS / Smart Phone Latitude o N: Longitude o W: Page 1 of 5

2 WATER TEMPERATURE What is temp? What changes temp? Temperature is a measure of the average energy (kinetic) of water molecules, in Celsius or Fahrenheit. Air temperature, shade, soil particles in the water, thermal pollution, underground springs Temperature affects metabolic and photosynthetic rates, and sensitivity of organisms to chemicals and disease. For salmonid fish, 4-16 C is optimal, C is stressful, and 24 C is lethal. Tolerance of many insects is C. (deg C) Temperature Measurements (deg C) TOTAL DISSOLVED SOLIDS (TDS) - the "WATCHDOG TEST" What is TDS? Dissolved solids are substances that cannot be trapped by a filter and usually occur as soluble salts. The salt ions change conductivity, the ability of water to conduct an electrical current. Units of conductivity are micro-siemens/cm (µs/cm). (One siemen is the reciprocal of one ohm). In freshwater streams, TDS (mg/l) are roughly 0.70 x conductivity. Conductivity What changes TDS? Minerals, acidic rainfall, fertilizer, urban runoff (µs/cm) (µs/cm) (µs/cm) High TDS indicates possible presence of pollutants. TDS levels in lakes and streams are usually mg/l. Distilled water is mg/l. Page 2 of 5

3 ph What is ph? Acidic water has more H+ ions; basic water has more OH- ions. The ph scale ranges from 0 to 14 (7= neutral, <7 = acidic, >7=basic) ph Measurements What changes ph? Acidic rainfall, minerals, algal blooms, industrial pollution, sulfides in sediment, carbonic acid from respiration or decomposition (ph units) (ph units) Most aquatic life survive within a narrow ph range; ph can increase toxicity of other substances. Most organisms require TURBIDITY What is turbidity? The amount of suspended particles, such as algae, sediment, or organic matter. Measured in Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU): water with higher NTUs is cloudier. Turbidity Measurements What changes turbidity? Soil erosion, agricultural runoff, urban runoff (e.g., grime, gasoline, oil), industrial waste (e.g., sewage), live and decaying organisms (NTU) (NTU) Particles block out light for photosynthesis, decrease oxygen, encourage harmful microorganisms and bacteria, clogs gills and egg membranes. Aquatic life usually benefits most from < 25 NTU. Salmonid fish need values under 10 NTU. Page 3 of 5

4 DISSOLVED OXYGEN (DO) What is DO? DO is the amount of dissolved oxygen in milligrams per Liter (mg/l) water. What changes DO? Temperature, photosynthesis (aquatic plants), decaying organic matter, aeration from stream flow, altitude and atmospheric pressure, human activities. Bacteria consume DO and release CO2 in the process of breaking down substances such as yard clippings, sewage, oil, and dead organic material. Low DO results from water temperature increases, still water and decaying organic matter. For most aquatic life, DO must be above 3 mg/l. Steelhead require at least 6.5 mg/l; caddisflies and mayflies at least 4 mg/l. Dissolved Oxygen Measurements A B C D Dissolved Oxygen (mg/l) Water Temperature (C) Atmospheric Pressure (mm Hg) 100% dissolved oxygen (mg/l) percent saturation (%) (calculated as A/D * 100 Example 8.2 mg/l 18.4 C 760 mmhg 9.5 mg/l 86% Avg % Page 4 of 5

5 STREAM DISCHARGE - Take these measurements only if you have access to the bank of the creek. What is it? Discharge is the volume of water that moves through a specific point in a stream over a certain time. Discharge is measured in units of cubic feet per second (cfs) by calculating the cross-sectional area of the creek and multiplying by the velocity of the water. What changes it? Rainfall, water diversions, creek configuration (e.g., slope, substrate, logs); irrigation, runoff (parking lots, roads, etc), soils compaction SITE 1 Section Section Width (m) 1 Discharge is responsible for many of the physical characteristics of a stream, and modifies water quality. Knowing creek flow at the time of water quality measurements is helpful for putting your measurements in context. Depth in Middle of Each Section (m) Area (m 2 ) Velocity (m/sec) Flow (m 3 /sec) 2 3 Total Flow Site 1 SITE 2 Section Section Width (m) Depth in Middle of Each Section (m) Area (m 2 ) Velocity (m/sec) Flow (m 3 /sec) Total Flow Site 2 Flow Page 5 of 5