A Study of Water Quality

Water Quality Study

December 17, 2008

A Study of Water Quality in Big Haynes Creek

Rockdale Magnet School for
Science and Technology
1174 Bulldog Circle
Conyers, GA 30012
December 17, 2008

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Water Quality Study

December 17, 2008
Table of Contents

Introduction

p. 3

Literature Review

p. 3

Methodology

p. 9

Data Interpretation

p. 11

Discussion and Conclusions

p. 17

References

p. 21

Appendix A: Detailed Procedures

p. 25

Appendix B: Experimental Design Diagram

p. 29

Appendix C: Raw Data

p. 30

Appendix D: Flow Chart

p. 34

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Water Quality Study

December 17, 2008

Introduction
Watersheds include both water and land components (Dobson and Beck, 1999).
Wildlife need them for food and shelter, and we need them as a source of potable water, as well as for irrigation and industry (Getting to know your local watershed, n.d.). If watersheds are not protected, it is likely that there will be a decrease in wildlife diversity and water quality that will weaken the economy.
Most water quality problems can be traced to point-source and nonpoint-source pollution. Non-point source pollution is harder to control because it does not come from a determined source (Getting to know your local watershed, n.d.). Water quality damage is blamed partly on the growth of the United State’s population and urban expansion, as well as development (Water science for schools, 2005).
This project involved a study of the water quality of Big Haynes Creek and Randy
Poynter Lake. The question being addressed was how the reservoir affects water quality.
The research hypothesis stated that there would be a significant change in water quality of Big Haynes Creek after it exited Randy Poynter Lake. The null hypothesis stated that there would be no significant change in the water quality of Big Haynes Creek. This is a continuation of a previous project, which was a seasonal study of water quality in the

References: Cannon, S, Hawks, L, & Keyes, J Big Haynes Creek riparian buffer study. Retrieved April 16, 2008, from Creek riparian buffer study. Retrieved April 16, 2008, from http://gwri.ce.gatech.edu/G AConf/Proceedings/Papers/2003/Cannon,%20Hawks%20and%20Keyes.PDF CCME water quality FAQs. (2005, Monday, September 19). Retrieved May 7, 2008, from CCME Web site: http://www.ccme.ca/initiatives/waterfaqs.html Chapter 3: Fertilizers as water pollutants. (n.d.). Retrieved April 18, 2008, from FAO Cor porate Document Repository Web site: Cleveland, A.J. (2000, February 24). Water what-ifs. Retrieved April 3, 2008, from Science Junction Web site: Water Quality Study December 17, 2008 Definition of riparian. (2007). Retrieved May 22, 2008, from EverythingBio Web site: http://www.everythingbio.com/glos/definition.php?word=riparian Dissolved oxygen test kit. (2008). Retrieved April 27, 2008, from the HANNA USA Web site: http://www.hannainst.com/usa/prods2.cfm?id=001001&ProdCode=HI%203810 Dobson, C, & Beck, G (1999). Watershed: A practical handbook for healthy water. Buffa lo: Firefly Books Inc. Herbicides to Streams in Five Agricultural Basins, USA. Journal of Environmental Quality, 37, Retrieved August 13, 2008, from Georgia EPD. (1972). Ocmulgee river basin study/ Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Division (pp GA Water Quality Control Board; USEPA. (1971). Upper Ocmulgee River Basin water quality survey (pp December 17, 2008 Getting to know your local watershed Koirala, S.R., Gentry, R.W., Perfect, E., Schwartz, J.S., & Sayler, G.S. (2008). Temporal Variation and Persistence of Bacteria in Streams Retrieved August 8, 2008, from http://jeq.scijournals.org/cgi/reprint/37/4/1559.pdf. Monitoring and assessing water quality. (2006, November 20). Retrieved April 17, 2008, from U.S August 24, 2007, from Wilkes university center for environmental quality environmental engineering and earth sciences phosphates and water quality Web Water Quality Study December 17, 2008 Phosphate test kit. (2008). Retrieved April 27, 2008, from the HANNA USA Web site: http://www.hannainst.com/usa/prods2.cfm?id=001001&ProdCode=HI%203833 Self, J. and Waskom, R. (2006, July 12). Nitrates in drinking water. Retrieved April 18, 2 008, Soli, D. (2005, June 26). How farming affects water quality. Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Retrieved April 8, 2007, from USGS water-quality monthly statistics for Georgia. (2008, April 14). Retrieved April 14, 2008, from USGS: Science for a changing world Web site: