1. Question: Why should we monitor the quality of our rivers, lakes and streams?
Water Quality
A measure of the physical, chemical and biological factors that affect a body of water

2. Water Temperature
Question: How does the temperature affect the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water?
Water quality standard important to monitor because it affects the ability of the water to dissolve gases and the type of organisms that live in it.

3. Turbidity
Question: How does turbidity affect the temperature of the water?
Water quality standard that is a measure of how cloudy or clear the water is. High turbidity means very cloudy and low turbidity means clear.

4. Question: Why is dissolved oxygen in the water so important?
Water quality standard that shows how much oxygen gas is dissolved in the water. A high amount of dissolved oxygen means the water is healthy.

5. pH
Question: What can change the pH of water?
Water quality standard that is a measure of how acidic or basic (alkaline) water is. Healthy water is between a pH of 6.5 and 8.0.

6. Nitrates
Water quality standard; an important nutrient that is needed for aquatic plants; too much causes too much algae to grow.
Question: What sources artificially add too much nitrates to the water?

7. Eutrophication
Question: What is an algal bloom?
A process where water receives too much nutrients (like nitrates) which causes “algal blooms” that use up the dissolved oxygen in the water and animals suffocate.

8. Bio-Indicators
Question: How do living things help determine the quality of water?
Water quality standard that uses living things to determine the health of the water.

9. Point Source Pollution
Question: Why is point source pollution easier to fix than nonpoint source pollution?
A single identifiable source of pollution such as a pipe or hose dumping chemicals into the water.

10. Nonpoint Source Pollution
Question: Why is nonpoint source pollution so hard to fix?
An activity that takes place over a large area and results in the release of pollution from many areas such as runoff from pavement and streets.