Lab 5: In Situ Water Monitoring

Steven Hoffman and Tyler Lees

Environmental Issues

Dr. Tait Chirenje

Stockton University

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Table of Contents

Table of Contents Table of Contents ............................................................................................................... 2

Abstract ............................................................................................................................. 3

Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 4

Methods ............................................................................................................................ 4

Results .............................................................................................................................. 6

Discussion ....................................................................................................................... 11

Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 14

Part 2 ............................................................................................................................. 15

Reference List .................................................................................................................. 20

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Abstract In situ water monitoring consists of measuring parameters to help maintain a healthy

water body. Using a Yellow Springs Instrument (YSI), parameters were measured at eight

different points on Lake Fred. These parameters included PH, Dissolved Oxygen, specific

conductance, salinity, turbidity, total suspended solids, and temperature. . The PH ranges from

4.95 – 6.61 ,specific conductivity ranges from 1.00 to 120.20 ppt, Turbidity ranges from 0.92 to

a reading of 192.00, salinity levels range from 0.06 – 0.44 ppt, temperatures range from 9.50 –

20.65 (C), and dissolved oxygen ranges from 6.66 – 12.71 mg/L. We then had to compare this

data to Moss Mill Lake’s water quality data. There were two rounds of data (2005,2010)

collected. For the first round of testing at Moss Mill Lake the PH measured in at .098 (SU),

Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L) at 6.99, specific conductance at .098(mS/cm), water temperature at

21.77 (C), turbidity at 0.9 (M) (measured using secchi disk). The data for the second round

measured 1.1 (M) with the secchi, water temperature at 26.37 (C), Dissolved Oxygen at 7.48

mg/L, PH at 4.7 (SU), and conductivity at 0.107 (mS/cm). Salinity was not measured at Moss

Mill Lake. For the second part of this lab we analyzed data from Upper Chesapeake Bay and

Upper Sassafras River.

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Introduction Does anyone ever think about how the lake or river that they use for recreation stay clean

and open to the public? Well, monitoring. Monitoring water helps determine whether a water

body source is healthy or not, and even helps to maintain a healthy body of water. This is

important because the quality of water directly affects the quality of life for the organisms and

plant life that inhabit it. This is accomplished by measuring several parameters that are key in

identifying the status of water on a consistent basis. For this lab we took a glance at the water

quality of Lake Fred. Eight separate spots that surround the lake were measured using a Yellow

Springs Instrument (YSI) multi-probe. The six parameters measured are PH, dissolved oxygen,

specific conductance, salinity, turbidity, and temperature. PH is one of the more important

parameters because it measures the acidity of the water. Dissolved Oxygen measures the amount

of oxygen that is in the water itself, specific conductance measures the total dissolved salts,

salinity tells us the salt concentration, turbidity shows the amount of suspended solids that reside

in the water, and temperature seems simple but is actually another very important parameter.

These parameters are staples in almost every water test conducted, which is why comparing our

results with real time data is reassuring and consistent.

Methods This lab is divided into two different parts. For part one, we went outside to Lake Fred to

start our water monitoring. Eight different locations around the edge of Lake Fred were tested

and we found each location using the latitude and longitude marks on Google Maps. Once the

exact location was found we used a Yellow Springs Instrument (YSI) multi-probe to collect the

parameter measures. The YSI multi-probe consisted of 6 end pieces that, when inserted in the

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water, would measure, PH, dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, salinity, turbidity, and

temperature. The values recorded for each of the eight sites were written down into a notebook.

Once all the data was collected around Lake Fred we went back to the lab to enter it into an excel

spreadsheet. This spreadsheet was then transferred into arc map as a data table. To be able to

access the layer, the table had to be exported into its own feature class by right clicking and

selecting “Export Data”. After this we were able to see the eight points around Lake Fred, with

each point containing the six parameters we measured. To add a background containing Lake

Fred we chose the topographic map under the base maps toolbar. We then made graduated colors

in the data points properties for each parameter measures. We took screenshots of each graduated

color for each parameter and added them into this document.

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Results

Figure 1: Figure 1 shows the pH values taken from each site in Lake Fred

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Figure 2: Figure 2 shows the Conductivity values taken from each site in Lake Fred

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Figure 3: Figure 3 shows the Turbidity values taken from each site in Lake Fred

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Figure 4: Figure 4 shows the Salinity values taken from each site in Lake Fred

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Figure 5: Figure 5 shows the Temperature values taken from each site in Lake Fred

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Figure 6: Figure 6 shows the Dissolved Oxygen values taken from each site in Lake Fred

Discussion Conducting these tests in such a small amount of time is not going to produce research

grade results, but instead a quick demonstration on what to look for. Figure 1 shows the range of

PH sampled around the lake. The PH ranges from 4.95 – 6.61, which is where we would expect

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the lake to be at. It is slightly lower than in the summer due to the fact that it has not reached

growing season. PH typically rises during the day and in the summer because of natural

occurrence such as photosynthesis.

Figure 2 shows the conductivity of the water. This parameter ranges from 1.00 to 120.20.

The average specific conductance level for the month of February is roughly 42.00 (Pahl, pg.70).

Specific conductivity changes due to the temperature and PH of the water. It is at its highest

around June. This parameter also varies due to the movement of water which is why there is such

a drastic change throughout the samples that we collected.

Figure 3 illustrates the differences in turbidity among the sample spots. Turbidity

measurements ranges from 0.92 to a reading of 192.00. Turbidity measures the amount of total

suspended solids in a water body which is important because if the turbidity is too high then it

can cause death to microorganisms that need photosynthesis. The lower the turbidity reading, the

clearer the water is. The majority of the spots on Lake Fred have good turbidity readings except

for two locations on the southwest side of the lake. This can be due to the change in sediment at

that location that cause the water to be cloudy. (Michaud, 1991)

Figure 4 shows the salinity levels that range from 0.06 – 0.44 ppt. This is a good sign

because salinity levels should not exceed 0.5 ppt. Lake Fred is a freshwater lake and all but two

locations contain a salinity level close to 0.5 ppt. These two spots are located near a road and

walkway that students take every day to and from class. The slight increase in salinity could be

due to salting these pathways to prevent snow since it is the winter.

Figure 5 shows the differences in temperature among the difference sampling locations.

The measured temperatures range from 9.50 – 20.65 (C). Temperature is one of the most

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important parameters to measure in water. Temperature can affect all other parameters. Usually

the hotter the temperature is, the more activity there is in the lake. For example, an increase in

temperature means an increase in parameters such as conductivity and acidity, but also a

decrease in the solubility of oxygen. Three spots are relatively low around the lake, right on the

southeast corner of the lake. This can be due to lake of sunlight at the time of day we took the

measurements.

Figure 6 represents the dissolved oxygen levels that we measured around the lake. These

measurements range from 6.66 – 12.71 mg/L. This is also an important parameter to measure

because all living organisms in the water need some form of oxygen to survive. Indications of a

high dissolved oxygen level are fast moving water, which Lake Fred is not. Stagnant waters such

as lakes tend to contain less dissolved oxygen. (US geological survey, 2017). Dissolved oxygen

is also directly related to temperature because cold water can hold more dissolved oxygen then

warm water. Typically dissolved oxygen levels should be around 1 mg/L to 20mg/L. Lake Fred’s

levels fall right in that range. The one trend that sticks out is that the dissolved oxygen is higher

on the north side of the lake than the southern side even though the southern side has lower

temperatures. Another factor that can cause this is an abundance of organic matter on the north

side of the lake compared to the south section of the lake.

To actually see what our results are worth, we picked another Lake in the area to

download data from. We decided to choose Moss Mill Lake. Comparing two lakes that reside

fairly close together means that the surrounding environment is fairly similar, in contrast to a

lake that is outside the town or even Atlantic County. The most recent data that was available to

view for Moss Mill Lake takes place in 2005 and then a second round of testing in 2010.

(NJDEP). Two dates were sampled, one in the summer and one in the fall of 2005. We chose to

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analyze the fall date because the water temperature is more similar to our data’s temperature than

it is in the summer. The PH measured in at 5.45 (SU), Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L) at 6.99, specific

conductance at .098(mS/cm), water temperature at 21.77 (C), turbidity at 0.9 (M) (measured

using secchi disk). The one parameter that was not measured at Moss Mill Lake that we

measured is salinity. The second round of data sampling consisted of secchi, water temperature,

dissolved oxygen, PH, and conductivity. The Secchi measured 1.1 (M), water temperature at

26.37 (C), Dissolved Oxygen at 7.48 mg/L, PH at 4.7 (SU), and conductivity at 0.107 (mS/cm).

Salinity was not measured during this round either. This data, when comparing it to ours, is fairly

similar. The PH levels were measured in different units which is the reason why the numbers are

slightly skewed. Special conductivity is also measured in different units than our ppt unit. The

parameters of dissolved solids, turbidity and temperature all compares well with our data.

Conclusion Does anyone ever think about how the lake or river that they use for recreation stay clean

and open to the public? Well, now you know, monitoring. The monitoring that we did is only a

glimpse of what should be done to actually maintain a water body. It takes numerous tests a

month, even days, to fully monitor a lake such as Lake Fred. It is important to keep up with the

monitoring to sustain the life within the lake, especially when human impacts can harm it. Any

one of these parameters can cause a major shift in the wildlife at Lake Fred. For example, if the

dissolved oxygen becomes too low to sustain life, then the microbial, fish, and turtle populations

will die. This is also known as eutrophication. If we were to set up a month of water sampling of

these six parameters, we would get a better understand of the overall water quality of Lake Fred.

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Part 2

Introduction

Lake Fred is a relatively small body of water to monitor and keep up. The large bodies of

water also need to be tested and checked up on. For part two of this lab we downloaded data

from a larger watershed such as the Chesapeake Bay, which we got off the Chesapeake Bay

Program website. We chose to analyze two watersheds, the Upper Chesapeake Bay and Upper

Sassafras River. The Chesapeake Bay is located between the southern part of Delaware and the

northern part of Maryland with the Sassafras River lying within it. These two watersheds contain

the same six parameters that we measured in part 2 with an extra two measurements, total

dissolved phosphorous and total dissolved nitrogen.

Methods

We downloaded data containing these parameters for both locations and put them into an

excel spreadsheet. We decided to compare data that was five years apart, 2013-2017. Using this

data in excel we were able to make the figures shown above by highlighting each parameter and

inserting them into a blank graph.

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Results

Figure 7: Figure 7 shows the Dissolved Oxygen Values found in Upper Chesapeake Bay and Upper Sassafras River

Figure 8: Figure 8 shows the pH Values found in Upper Chesapeake Bay and Upper Sassafras River

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Figure 9: Figure 9 shows the Salinity Values found in Upper Chesapeake Bay and Upper Sassafras River

Figure 10: Figure 10 shows the Conductivity Values found in Upper Chesapeake Bay and Upper Sassafras River

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Figure 11: Figure 11 shows the Total Dissolved Phosphorus Values found in Upper Chesapeake Bay and Upper Sassafras River

Figure 12: Figure 12 shows the Total Dissolved Nitrogen Values found in Upper Chesapeake Bay and Upper Sassafras River

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Figure 13: Figure 13 shows the Water Temperature Values found in Upper Chesapeake Bay and Upper Sassafras River

Discussion

There are 7 parameters that we were able to download and analyze. PH measures the

acidity in the water, dissolved oxygen measures the amount of oxygen that is in the water itself,

specific conductance measures the total dissolved salts, salinity tells us the salt concentration,

and temperature. The two new parameters that were analyzed are total dissolved phosphorous

and total dissolved nitrogen. Total dissolved phosphorous is the measure of all forms of

phosphorous found in the water. It is important to monitor phosphorous because it stimulates

growth of plankton and aquatic plants, and if levels reach too high then eutrophication can occur

(Oram, 2014). Total dissolved nitrogen is the measure of all nitrogen in a water sample. Nitrogen

can cause eutrophication as well by overstimulating the growth of algae and other aquatic plants.

The Sassafras River is a tributary to the Chesapeake Bay itself, so most of these parameters are

similar, except two. The two parameters that are drastically different are salinity and

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conductivity. The Upper Sassafras is located inland so less of this tributary is exposed to the

saline ocean. This can be the reason that the salinity levels are so low and because of the salinity

levels being so low, the conductivity is low as well. The reason for this is because with less salt

in the water electric currents will have trouble passing through water with a low amount of

particles within it. Another trend worth noting is the total dissolved nitrogen. The level of total

dissolved nitrogen is higher consistently throughout the five years in the Chesapeake than in the

Sassafras River. This can be caused by residential homes that are located along the river bank.

One more interesting trend that we found from these graphs is that the salinity has increased over

the last five years by about 4ppt in the Chesapeake Bay. This can be caused from being located

in between two heavy industrialized coastlines, especially on the Delaware side.

Conclusion

Monitoring water quality in large watersheds is especially important because since it is a

larger body of water, there will be much more plant and animal life when compared to a specific

area. By measuring the Chesapeake Bay and the Sassafras River we got two separate datasets

with one of those datasets (Sassafras) being more specific within the other dataset (Chesapeake

Bay). Even both sets of data were located in two areas where there were dramatic changes in a

couple of parameters because of the area that they reside in. Since both areas are regulated

consistently they consist of more parameters, such as the total dissolved nitrogen and total

dissolved phosphorous.

Reference List

What We Monitor and Why. (n.d.). Retrieved February 27, 2018, from

http://dnr.maryland.gov/waters/bay/Pages/What-and-Why-We-Monitor.aspx\

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Introductions. (n.d.). Retrieved February 27, 2018, from https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-

tools/introductions/

NJDEP Lake Monitoring Network. (n.d.). Retrieved February 27, 2018, from

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/wms/bfbm/lakes.html

(2012, September 04). Water Quality Parameters: Conductivity & Hardness. Retrieved February

27, 2018, from http://www.sciencepartners.info/module-4-water/what-is-water-

quality/water-quality-parameters-conductivity-and-hardness/

Perlman, U. H. (n.d.). Saline Water. Retrieved February 27, 2018, from

https://water.usgs.gov/edu/saline.html

Perlman, U. H. (n.d.). Water properties: Dissolved oxygen. Retrieved February 27, 2018, from

https://water.usgs.gov/edu/dissolvedoxygen.html

www.researchgate.net/publication/275353467_Electrical_Conductivity_of_Lake_Water_as_Envi

ronmental_Monitoring_A_Case_study_of_Rudra_sagar_Lake

“What We Monitor and Why.” Department of Natural Resources,

dnr.maryland.gov/waters/bay/Pages/What-and-Why-We-Monitor.aspx.