Download - An Evaluation of Stillwater Watershed
![Page 1: An Evaluation of Stillwater Watershed](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022062410/56815989550346895dc6cc52/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
An Evaluation of Stillwater Watershed
• YWSI Computer Camp
• JUNE 25-30 2000
• GROUP 1: Angela Black Nicole Marie Pugh Kristen Schulte
![Page 2: An Evaluation of Stillwater Watershed](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022062410/56815989550346895dc6cc52/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Location of Stillwater Watershed
This map shows where our watershed is located in Ohio!
![Page 3: An Evaluation of Stillwater Watershed](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022062410/56815989550346895dc6cc52/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
Surrounding Counties
![Page 4: An Evaluation of Stillwater Watershed](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022062410/56815989550346895dc6cc52/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
Assignment
• Study current conditions of our watershed• Compare to a healthy watershed such as Big Darby• Compare land use to biology measures
• amount of riparian zone available• population (urban vs. rural)• agriculture
• Study data to find effects of human use on the biology measures
• Interpret data and find correlations
![Page 5: An Evaluation of Stillwater Watershed](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022062410/56815989550346895dc6cc52/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Definitions
• IBI- index of biotic integrity (fish count) • ICI- invertebrate community index
(Macroinvertebrates)• MAXTN- maximum total nitrogen• QHEI- quantitative habitat evaluation index
![Page 6: An Evaluation of Stillwater Watershed](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022062410/56815989550346895dc6cc52/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Hypothesis
• 1.The IBI & ICI are directly effected by the nitrogen level.
• 2.The IBI is directly effected by the QHEI.
• 3. The ICI is effected by the QHEI.
• 4. There is a higher level of sediment in Stillwater than in Big Darby.
![Page 7: An Evaluation of Stillwater Watershed](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022062410/56815989550346895dc6cc52/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Current Conditions
![Page 8: An Evaluation of Stillwater Watershed](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022062410/56815989550346895dc6cc52/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
Areas of Concern
• Nutrient enrichment- compared ICI & IBI to Nitrogen levels
• spreading of fertilizers and pesticides by humans on farm land causes an increase in nitrogen levels
• Other habitat alterations- compared QHEI to ICI & IBI
• clearing of land and altering of stream habitat by humans lowers biological diversity
![Page 9: An Evaluation of Stillwater Watershed](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022062410/56815989550346895dc6cc52/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
IBI Count vs. Nitrogen LevelsIBI vs. Nitrogen Level for Stillwater
0.00
10.00
20.00
30.00
40.00
50.00
60.00
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
Nitorogen Level (MAXTN)
IBI
Va
lue
IBI
MAXTN
High Nitrogen level means a low IBI value
Low Nitrogen level means a high IBI
![Page 10: An Evaluation of Stillwater Watershed](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022062410/56815989550346895dc6cc52/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
Graph Findings
• High Nitrogen = Low IBI
• Low Nitrogen = High IBI
• My hypothesis was proven correct because when the nitrogen levels were high the fish were low.
• This is because high nitrogen levels are toxic to fish populations.
![Page 11: An Evaluation of Stillwater Watershed](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022062410/56815989550346895dc6cc52/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
Habitat vs. IBI
QHEI vs. IBI for Stillwatery = 1.098x + 22.881
R2 = 0.4392
0.00
10.00
20.00
30.00
40.00
50.00
60.00
70.00
80.00
90.00
100.00
20.00 25.00 30.00 35.00 40.00 45.00 50.00 55.00 60.00
IBI Value
QH
EI QHEI
Linear (QHEI)
![Page 12: An Evaluation of Stillwater Watershed](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022062410/56815989550346895dc6cc52/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Graph Findings
• Low Habitat = Low IBI
• High Habitat = High IBI
• My hypothesis is correct because in areas of dense habitat there is a large fish population.
• This is because fish need a healthy habitat. So when there is a low QHEI there is a low IBI.
![Page 13: An Evaluation of Stillwater Watershed](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022062410/56815989550346895dc6cc52/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
Habitat vs. ICIQHEI vs. ICI for Stillwater
0.00
10.00
20.00
30.00
40.00
50.00
60.00
70.00
80.00
90.00
100.00
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
ICI Value
QH
EI
Vlu
e
ICI
QHEI
High ICI is not related to low QHEI High correlation because low QHEI
results in low ICI
![Page 14: An Evaluation of Stillwater Watershed](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022062410/56815989550346895dc6cc52/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
Graph Findings
• Low Habitat = Low ICI
• High Habitat = High ICI
• Macroinvertebrates flourish when the quality of the habitat increases. So my hypothesis was proved correct.
![Page 15: An Evaluation of Stillwater Watershed](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022062410/56815989550346895dc6cc52/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
Effects of Nitrogen on Macroinvertebrates
ICI vs. NITROGEN LEVELS
30.00
35.00
40.00
45.00
50.00
55.00
60.00
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
NITROGEN LEVELS
ICI ICI
Linear (ICI)
![Page 16: An Evaluation of Stillwater Watershed](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022062410/56815989550346895dc6cc52/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
Graph Findings
• My hypothesis was proved correct because there was a small trend when the nitrogen levels were high the macroinvertebrates levels did decrease slightly.
![Page 17: An Evaluation of Stillwater Watershed](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022062410/56815989550346895dc6cc52/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
Darby vs. StillwaterSuspended Sediment
Comparing The TSS_AVG
0.00
20.00
40.00
60.00
80.00
100.00
120.00
140.00
160.00
180.00
200.00
TS
S_A
VG
Darby
Stillwater
![Page 18: An Evaluation of Stillwater Watershed](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022062410/56815989550346895dc6cc52/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
Results of Darby vs. Stillwater
• Results show that the sediment levels in Big Darby were lower than Stillwater.
• Although further investigations showed little correlation between sediment levels and IBI.
![Page 19: An Evaluation of Stillwater Watershed](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022062410/56815989550346895dc6cc52/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
Conclusion
• There are many causes that lead to an unhealthy watershed, but we found chemical levels and habitat loss to be the most significant to the quality of Stillwater Watershed.
• Increase in nitrogen levels cause a decrease in biological diversity.
• Quality and Quantity of available habitat effect the health of the watershed.
![Page 20: An Evaluation of Stillwater Watershed](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022062410/56815989550346895dc6cc52/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
Way to Preserve the Stillwater Area
• Rebuilding the riparian zone
• Controlling agricultural runoff
• Regulating industrial waste
• Setting standards for future development
![Page 21: An Evaluation of Stillwater Watershed](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022062410/56815989550346895dc6cc52/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
Acknowledgements
• We Would Like To Specially Thank:• Chaperones-Lori Summers, Paula Williams, Fen Lewis, Virginie
Bouchard, Sharon & Shannon Schraegle
• Organizers-Sue Brown and Elaine Landwehr
• Instructors-Steve Gordon, Leslie Southern, and Kathryn Kelly