Water Quality Lab Report

Introduction:
This lab investigates the question, what is the water quality of the U-High creek based on micro invertebrates found in the creek? There are many factors that affect the quality of water such as phosphorus and nitrogen levels, dissolved oxygen, and pH. Phosphorus and nitrogen in water can increase the growth of aquatic plants and algae, leading to the decomposition of dead plant material and the removal of dissolved oxygen from water. The total nitrogen concentrations for freshwater should be no more than 1.3-2.2 milligrams per liter and the phosphorus levels should also be low. It is not good to have low levels of dissolved oxygen in water because only organisms such as leeches, snails and roundworms can survive while many other invertebrates would die. The pH scale is also used to test water quality. Water with a pH between 6.5-8.5 is considered to be healthy (Riverwatch, 2013).There are 3 types of pollution tolerance among invertebrates. A large amount of pollution tolerant invertebrates can indicate poor water quality.
It was 65°F and sunny and the wind was blowing at twelve miles per hour. In and around the water there were multiple different types of organisms. Around the creek there were many low-lying plants like bushes, grasses, and small flowering plants. In the creek there were brown fish that were around three inches in length and algae. The water in the creek was clear, although some parts were murky and looked slightly more brown. The creek was fairly still with a few places further south rushing at a medium speed and it ran from North to South. There was lots of silt, gravel, and mud at the bottom of the creek and the depth of the creek ranged from around 1 inch to a foot. There was a drainage pipe draining into the creek and there were 2-3 plastic bags in the creek. Based on these observations, the prediction is that the water quality will be