----- pH: pH is a way of telling us how acidic or
basic the water is. The pH scale goes from 0 to 14, with 7 being
a neutral pH level. We used a digital pH meter for determining the pH
of the water
sample.
----- Width/Depth: We tested for the
width and the depth of the stream to find the cross-sectional area of
the stream. We found the width of the stream in meters with a tape measure. For depth
testing we used a metric ruler, and measured in centimeters. We
took at least three measurements across the stream, and averaged these
numbers to come up with a representative depth of the stream. We
converted the average depth to meters, then multiplied it by the width
to find the area of the cross section of the stream in square
meters.
----Velocity: The velocity of the stream is the speed at which the water moves downstream. We used a flow meter to determine the velocity. The flow meter is a pole with a small propeller counter on the end. As the water flows around the propeller, it spins, and the counter tells us how many rotations there were in one minute. We then used a mathematical formula to determine the velocity in meters per second.
----Discharge: The discharge rate is the volume of water that flows through the stream in a given time. This rate is found by multiplying the velocity by the cross sectional area of the stream. Discharge is measured cubic meters per second.
----Density vs Diversity: Density vs Diversity is a way of looking at the Benthic Macroinvertebrates (BMI) in the stream, and using them to evaluate the health of the stream. The density is how many of a given species there are, and the diversity is the number of different species that were found. We found BMI's by overturning rocks, caught them with kick nets, and counted them. In combination, these numbers helped us determine the health of the stream.
----Dissolved Oxygen/Phosphorous Tests: We did these tests to find the levels of oxygen and phosphorous disolved in the stream water. For both of these tests, we used a colorimeter. We collected samples of the stream water, combined them with chemical reagents in glass ampules, and then used the colorimeter to send light through them in order to measure the levels of each of these compounds.
----Percent Tree Coverage: At each site, we estimated the percent of the river that was covered by the trees on the banks. This is part of the habitat for all the flora and fauna in the stream, because it provides shade and adds nutrients.
----GPS Mapping: We used a GPS device to find the coordinates of each site so that we could find sites we had already visited, and to plot the sites on a map of the area. These coordinates were recorded in UTM, which is similar to latitude and longitude, but are in metric meters.
----Velocity: The velocity of the stream is the speed at which the water moves downstream. We used a flow meter to determine the velocity. The flow meter is a pole with a small propeller counter on the end. As the water flows around the propeller, it spins, and the counter tells us how many rotations there were in one minute. We then used a mathematical formula to determine the velocity in meters per second.
----Discharge: The discharge rate is the volume of water that flows through the stream in a given time. This rate is found by multiplying the velocity by the cross sectional area of the stream. Discharge is measured cubic meters per second.
----Density vs Diversity: Density vs Diversity is a way of looking at the Benthic Macroinvertebrates (BMI) in the stream, and using them to evaluate the health of the stream. The density is how many of a given species there are, and the diversity is the number of different species that were found. We found BMI's by overturning rocks, caught them with kick nets, and counted them. In combination, these numbers helped us determine the health of the stream.
----Dissolved Oxygen/Phosphorous Tests: We did these tests to find the levels of oxygen and phosphorous disolved in the stream water. For both of these tests, we used a colorimeter. We collected samples of the stream water, combined them with chemical reagents in glass ampules, and then used the colorimeter to send light through them in order to measure the levels of each of these compounds.
----Percent Tree Coverage: At each site, we estimated the percent of the river that was covered by the trees on the banks. This is part of the habitat for all the flora and fauna in the stream, because it provides shade and adds nutrients.
----GPS Mapping: We used a GPS device to find the coordinates of each site so that we could find sites we had already visited, and to plot the sites on a map of the area. These coordinates were recorded in UTM, which is similar to latitude and longitude, but are in metric meters.
