The Importance Of Water Quality In U-High Creek

The water quality of the U-high creek was excellent. However, not all water has excellent water quality. There are many ways water can become polluted. Humans play a key role in the pollution of water because water is an easy way to dispose of waste.( Lentech, 2016) For example, farmers use fertilizers to help their crops grow, but when it rains the rainwater takes the chemicals used in fertilizers and transports it into the bodies of water. These fertilizers contain nitrate and phosphate. When the nitrate and phosphate are put into the water, they cause a massive growth of algae, called eutrophication.( Lentech, 2016) The excess algae causes the water to turn green. As a result of eutrophication, there is not enough oxygen in the water. This is because when the algae die, the bacteria that decomposes it, takes up oxygen. With more algae reproducing, there is a greater quantity
This is a zone surrounding the edges of the creek where you shouldn’t mow. You shouldn’t mow in this zone because without the roots on the side of the stream, the sides would erode and there would be more pollution. This is because the roots hold the side of the stream together. Also, the roots absorb pollution that is in the stream to make the water quality better.(Chagrin Rivers Watershed Partners, ?) A positive effect of the now mow zone is that the roots keep the side of the stream from caving in and it provides shade to keep the water temperature cooler. When the water temperature is cooler, more aquatic life is able to thrive.(Chagrin Rivers Watershed Partners,?) However the no mow zone can have its downfalls. It isn’t as aesthetically pleasing as a clean cut stream and the no mow zone can often take up a large amount of space in order to have solid roots. If the width of the stream is larger, then a larger no mow zone is required to maintain a healthy body of water.(Chagrin Rivers Watershed