Photo tour of the monitoring activities found in the Stream Side Science manual

Transcription

1 Photo tour of the monitoring activities found in the Stream Side Science manual

2 This slide show will walk you through the following tests: ph Dissolved Oxygen Temperature Turbidity Nitrates Macroinvertebrates Riparian Vegetation Greenline Canopy Cover Ground Cover Wildlife Additional information and instructions can be found in the Stream Side Science and the Utah Stream Team manuals.

3 ph WHAT IS ph? ph is the measurement of how acidic or alkaline (basic) the water is. 1. Use litmus paper with a ph range of Dip the litmus paper into the stream and immediately pull it out. 3. Wait one minute for color development. Compare the color of the paper to the color key on the box.

4 Dissolved Oxygen WHAT IS DO? DO is the concentration of O 2 molecules actually dissolved in the water. This is the form of oxygen that fish use. 1. Use a Chemetrics DO kit. 2. Fill the sample cup with stream water. 3. Take out a glass ampoule from the kit. Continued on next slide

5 Dissolved Oxygen Continued 4. Snap the end of the glass ampoule off into the sample cup. 5. Remove the ampoule from the sample cup. Turn it over several times. Allow the bubble to travel from end to end to mix the contents. 6. Wait two minute for color development. Compare the color of the ampoule to the color rack in the box.

6 Temperature WHAT IS TEMPERATURE? Temperature is the amount of heat energy water contains. 1. Take the thermometer out of the case (if it has one). 2. Dip the thermometer into a moving part of the stream or river. Wait for the temperature to stop changing (at least 1 minute). 3. Read the temperature on the thermometer. If you are using a digital thermometer, be sure to turn it off when you are done.

7 Turbidity WHAT IS TURBIDITY? Turbidity is a measurement of how much suspended material is in the water. 1. Use a turbidity tube. Note the black and white target disk at the bottom of the tube. Be sure that the release valve is closed. 2. Fill the tube to the top with stream water. Stand downstream of the tube, and be sure to sample flowing water. 3. Look down the top of the tube at the target disk. If the target is visible, record the water level in cm. If the disk is not visible, release water from the release valve until it becomes visible. Record this water level in cm. Convert the cm to NTU s using the conversion chart in the Stream Side Science Manual.

8 Nitrates WHAT are nitrates? Nitrates are the most common form of inorganic nitrogen in unpolluted waters 1. Use a Chemetrics nitrate kit. Fill sample cup to the 15 ml mark. 2. Empty the contents of one cadmium packet into the sample cup. 3. Cap the sample cup and shake vigorously for 3 minutes Continued on next slide

9 Nitrates WHAT are nitrates? Nitrates are the most common form of inorganic nitrogen in unpolluted waters 4. Allow the sample cup to sit undisturbed for 30 seconds. 5. Take an ampoule out of the test kit. 7. Mix the contents of the ampoule by letting the bubble travel from end to end. 6. Snap the tip of the ampoule off into the sample cup. Continued on next slide

10 Nitrates WHAT are nitrates? Nitrates are the most common form of inorganic nitrogen in unpolluted waters 8. Wait 10 minutes for color development. 9. Compare the ampoule to either the tube comparator (for low concentrations) or the rack comparator (for high concentrations).

11 Macroinvertebrates Macroinvertebrates can an indicator of water quality. 1. Use a kicknet to collect macroinvertebrates. 2. Have one person hold the net perpendicular to the flow of the water. The other person should disturb the rocks upstream of the net with their feet and hands. 3. Empty the net into a plastic pan either by dipping it into the water or by rinsing water over it. Continued on next slide

12 Macroinvertebrates Macroinvertebrates can an indicator of water quality. 4. Observe and sort the macroinvertebrates. 5. Release the macroinvertebrates back into the stream. 6. Rinse the net with stream water.

13 Riparian Vegetation: Greenline 1. Measure a 100 foot stretch along the stream. Mark the beginning and end points with a flag. 2. Standing at the first flag, note the vegetation type closest to the water. Record this on the worksheet. 4. Follow the instructions on the Greenline Worksheet. 3. Take one pace toward the other flag and stop. Record the vegetation type closest to the water. Repeat steps 1-3 until you reach the other flag.

14 Riparian Vegetation: Canopy Cover 1. Measure a 100 foot stretch along the stream. Mark the beginning and end points with a flag. 2. Standing at the first flag, point the ocular tube straight into the air and look through with one eye. Tell the recorder whether the x at the end of the tube points at the sky (a miss ) or points at vegetation (a hit ). 3. Take one pace toward the other flag and stop. Again, point the ocular tube straight up and record a hit or a miss. Repeat steps 1-3 until you reach the other flag. 4. Follow the instructions on the Canopy Cover worksheet.

15 Riparian Vegetation: Ground Cover 1. Measure five transects perpendicular to the stream reach. If possible, they should be spaced out at equal distances. 2. Beginning at the first transect, take one pace away from the streams edge. Touch your finger to the ground in front of your foot. 3. Note the ground cover that your finger touches on the worksheet. Continued on next slide

16 Riparian Vegetation: Ground Cover (continued) 4. Repeat steps 2-3 for 20 paces, and then move on to another transect. Repeat for all 5 transects. 5. Follow the instructions on the Ground Cover worksheet.

17 Wildlife 1. Slowly walk a 100 foot length of the stream s edge. Look for tracks, scat, or other animal signs. 2. Return to the middle of the length that you walked and walk 20 paces away from the streams edge. Stand quietly, watching and listening for two minutes. Slowly walk back toward the stream. 3. Repeat this procedure at three more points along the stream (more if time allows). Record all animals or sign that you find.