Stream Pollution Assessment Stream Pollution Assessment of Beaver Creekof Beaver Creek

By Joe Wendtland and By Joe Wendtland and Loyal WergedalLoyal Wergedal

Overview of Project

• Conducted in Eau Claire County, Fall Creek Wisconsin

• From October 2000 to May 2001.

• Worked with Paul Tweed, biology teacher of Augusta and Scott Thiel, science teacher at Altoona and Beaver Creek Reserve and staff.

Why we chose the stream?

• We can’t see inside the stream, like we can on the ground.

• Find what is in our water.

• See how pollution affects our water and the living organisms that live in the water as well.

Hypothesis

•Beaver Creek Watershed has a good water quality rating.

What is our project?

• Insects

• Fish

• Chemicals

• Temperatures

Insect collections

• Disrupt stream bottom into D-framed net

• Empty all of contents into collection pan

• Remove 100 insects randomly (to avoid a bias collection)

Use a D-framed net

Identify the Family of Each Insect

• Some determinates of insect families include: body shape, gill structure, wings, mandible, and abdomen.

• Use FBI key by looking at these features

FBI Results

0- 10 scale (0- perfect 10-terrible)

Site Fall Rating Spring Rating

Site 1 Very Good (3.63) Very Good (4.40)

Site 2 Excellent (2.97) Excellent (3.38)

Site 3 Excellent (3.12) Excellent (3.32)

Temperature

• Change in stream temperature between the hobos.

• Temperature recorded by hobos, small devices that records temperature every 4 hours.

• Placed 2 hobos in the stream one mile apart

• Placed 1 above the stream

Why Collect Temperature Data

• Correlation between fish and temperature

• Correlation between dissolved oxygen and temperature

• Change is temperature between two hobos in stream

Chemical Tests

• Collect Water Samples from 2 sites

• Analyze in Lab for concentrations

• Decipher change

Nitrate Information

• NO3

• Found in farm fertilizers

• Promotes plant growth

• Too much pollution causes a decrease in oxygen

• U.S. Public Health Service only allows 10 mg/L. in public drinking water

Nitrate Levels

012345

Collection Dates

mg

/L Site 1

Site 2

Phosphate Information

• PO4

• Found in fertilizers and pesticides

• Stimulates plant growth

• .1 mg/L. is recommended maximum for rivers and streams

Phosphate Levels

00.10.20.30.40.5

Collection Dates

mg/

L Site 1

Site 2

Turbidity

• Measure of sediment in water

• Enables us to determine whether erosion or excessive growth is taking place

Turbidity Levels

05

101520

Collection Dates

FTU Site 1

Site 2

Dissolved Oxygen Information

• O2 dissolved in water

• Diffusion from surrounding air

• Photosynthesis

• Reduced by decomposition of excessive plant growth

Dissolved Oxygen Levels

0

5

10

15

20

1/17/2001 2/1/2001 2/12/2001 4/3/2001 4/1/2001

Collection Dates

mg/L

Site 1

Site 2

Fish Collections• Placed 2 minnow traps one mile apart

at Field Station• Collected every 4-7

days• Measured and

identified each minnow

Common Minnows Found

-Northern Redbellied DacePhoxinus eos

Central Mudminnow

Umbra Limi

Summary

• From chemical tests we found stream has high phosphate levels but all other tests indicated good quality

• Insect tests indicated overall good quality with minimal change

• Temperature data fluctuated normally

• Minnows found were typical of habitat

Concerns

• Tests valid

• Phosphate levels

• Future interests in the Beaver Creek Watershed

Closing Comments

• More work than we had anticipated.

• Great class, but students must be committed because this individual work.

• Only factor that would make this class even better is more time.