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.