Velocity:
And finally, there is velocity. The first thing you should do is take the tape measure and measure 5 meters downstream, on the bank, to where a new stake will be hammered into the ground. These stakes will be downstream and should have a cord tied between them. Make sure the cord is taut with no slack. The next thing you will do is have someone standing up at the line with clothespins with a stopwatch and a tennis ball, while another person should be downstream at the finish line. The person at the starting line will stand away from the first pin and drop the tennis ball in the water under the pin while starting the timer as it hits the water. When the ball runs under the finish line, that person will yell to stop the timer and grab the ball.This process should be repeated for each clothespin. Once each part of the test is done, take all of the recorded numbers and add them together then divide by four to get the velocity.
Chemical Testing
For chemical testing, we tested the following: Phosphate, Turbidity, Coliform Bacteria, Biochemical Oxygen Demand, Dissolved Oxygen, and pH.
To do this, you would first have to collect a water sample. Your first step of collecting a water sample would be collecting a sample below the stream surface where the stream is well mixed. After this step is completed, you would rinse the bottle 2-3 times with stream water by capping the water inside, shaking it, and then dumping it out into the stream. Once this is done, you would move on to the last step which is to collect a sample below the stream surface where the stream is well mixed.
All steps of the chemical testing were followed correctly.
Biological Factors
The last thing to do is collect BMI. To do so, you must follow these steps. Make sure the net is clean, then position yourself at the end of your sampling area - the net must be pulled tightly from one end to the other. Once the net is positioned, secure the net under a few large rocks in the creek so no BMI get away under the net. Now, hold the net at about a 45° angle over the water, so no BMI go over the net. Once the kicking is efficiently done, take the net out - making sure no BMI will fall or get out.
When out of the stream, put all of the BMI into buckets and return any non-BMI.
Start sorting all BMI and when you are done, make sure to return the BMI to the stream.
make sure to return the BMI to the stream.
(Both pictures were taken during velocity testing.)
n
b
Fox Run Times/October, 2013 5