adapted from presentation by brandon bywater, nisqually ... · brandon bywater, nisqually river...
TRANSCRIPT
adapted from presentation by
Brandon Bywater, Nisqually River
Education Project
Water Quality
Monitoring
All life on EARTH depends on WATER.
75 %
of the Earth’s surface is covered in
WATER!
surface water
The Water Cycle
Evaporation
Condensation (cools and forms clouds)
Precipitation (rain & snow)
Infiltration (groundwater)
Runoff
What’s the point?!?!
Water is a LIMITED RESOURCE.
Watershed: What is it?
All of the land that drains into a common body of water. Includes: Living things Non-living things Cultures Traditions
Puget Sound
Watershed
Thurston
County
Watersheds
Totten Watershed
ELD Watershed
Deschutes
Watershed
Henderson Watershed
History of Squaxin People
Image: http://squaxinisland.org/
SALMON are an important piece of our ecosystems,
economy, culture and traditions.
Point vs. Non-point Pollution
POINT SOURCE POLLUTION
Can be managed and controlled. Easier to form strategies for cleanup. Often managed by EPA.
NON-POINT SOURCE POLLUTION
Harder to identify and isolate. Often has millions of contributors.
Water Quality Testing
✘ Dissolved Oxygen ✘ Temperature ✘ pH ✘ Biochemical Oxygen Demand ✘ Nitrates ✘ Turbidity ✘ Total Solids ✘ Fecal Coliform
1.
Dissolved Oxygen
How much OXYGEN is in the water.
Animals in the water breathe in oxygen
Optimal Acceptable Poor Fatal
Salmon >9 mg/L 7-8 mg/L 3.5 - 6 mg/L <3.5 mg/L
2.
Temperature
How HOT or COLD the water is. (measured in degrees Celsius)
warm water
=
dead fish
Cold water holds MORE dissolved oxygen.
cold water
=
healthy and happy fish
3.
pH
How ACIDIC or BASIC the water is.
“ 7 ” is NEUTRAL on
the acid-Base scale.
1-6 Acidic
8-14 Basic
Changes in pH affect aquatic organisms.
Optimal Acceptable Fatal
Salmon 7 - 8 6.5 - 8 < 6.5
4.
Biochemical Oxygen
Demand
How much OXYGEN is being used in the water by BACTERIA.
Day 1 (D.O.) - Day 5 (D.O.)
Optimal value: < 6.0 mg/L
When there is more bacteria in water, it uses up more oxygen. This leaves less available oxygen for other animals in the water.
5.
Nitrates
How many nutrients are in the water.
Too many NITRATES feed bacteria.
Nitrogen from fertilizers. Rain events wash nitrogen into streams. More nitrogen creates more food for bacteria.
Making connections
More Nitrogen
More Bacteria
Less Dissolved Oxygen
For Animals
6.
Turbidity
How CLEAR or CLOUDY the water is.
How does TURBIDITY affect animals in the water?
Increases temperature Decreases visibility (predators can’t find prey & prey can’t avoid predators) Affects breathing Smothers salmon eggs
7.
Total Solids
The weight of CLOUDINESS in the WATER.
Optimal value of Total Solids
= < 25 mg/L
8.
Fecal Coliform
How much bacteria is in the water. (from the feces of warm blooded animals)
Fecal coliform lives in the digestive tract of:
Farm animals Human beings Wildlife Pets
Human health concerns affected by fecal coliform
bacteria in water.
Most common form of fecal coliform bacteria is : E. coli This can make people very sick.
Scenarios that may
Affect Water Quality
WHITE WATER Scenario #1 INCREASES:
Turbidity
Total Solids Dissolved Oxygen
FERTILIZER Scenario #2
INCREASES:
Nitrates
Turbidity
Total Solids
DECREASES: Dissolved
Oxygen
TRASH Scenario #3 DECREASES:
Dissolved Oxygen
INCREASES:
Fecal Coliform
Temperature Turbidity (leaching)
pH
INCREASES: Nitrates Fecal Coliform Turbidity Total Solids
DECREASES: Dissolved Oxygen
CITIES Scenario #5
INCREASES: Turbidity
Total Solids Temperature
Nitrates pH
Fecal Coliform
DECREASES: Dissolved Oxygen
point or
non-point
HEALTHY RIPARIAN ZONE Scenario #6
DECREASES: Temperature
Turbidity Total Solids
INCREASES: Dissolved Oxygen