1. What is a Watershed? An area of land, from ridge top to ridge top, that collects, stores, and releases water to a common point, such as a river or a lake

2. What’s in a Watershed? Streams Rivers Lakes Wetlands Hills Mountains Farms Cities Houses Humans Animals Plants

3. Watershed Components

4. Watershed Processes Precipitation Evaporation Infiltration Runoff Erosion

5. Impacts on Watershed Land Use Pollution Too much of a good thing Point Sources Non-Point Sources Erosion Natural Human-accelerated

6. Watershed Study PHYSICAL WidthWater Color DepthStreambank Bottom MaterialsShading (canopy) Soils/RocksFlow TemperatureDams TurbidityFlow Alterations BIOLOGICAL Bacteria Animals VirusesFish PlanktonPlants MacroinvertebratesAlgae CHEMICAL pH Alkalinity Dissolved Oxygen BOD Conductivity Toxics Phosphorus Nitrates Chlorine/Chloride Heavy Metals

7. “Water Quality” Water shed to stream = easier to measure Water Quality is primarily chemistry “Quality” is a value judgement based on intended use Drinking water Recreation Aquatic life

8. Water Quality Parameters Temperature Dissolved Oxygen BOD pH Alkalinity Turbidity/Total Suspended Solids Phosphorus Nitrate Chlorine/Chloride

9. Temperature Most aquatic organisms are poikilothermic - don’t internally regulate their body temp The rate of many chemical reactions increases at higher temperatures. Oxygen solubility  as temperature  Loss of riparian shading Water inputs (Industrial, Groundwater, etc) Weather  Turbidity can  temperature

10. Temperature Measure of heat Temperature scales Equipment Data Loggers Thermometers 0°C 32°F 100°C 212°F

11. Dissolved Oxygen Photosynthesis (  DO) Atmospheric Re-aeration (  DO) Inflow of oxygenated water (  DO) Respiration (  DO) Biochemical Oxygen Demand (  DO) Nitrification (NBOD) NH 3 + O 2 = NO 3

12. Dissolved Oxygen Measure of O 2 in water BOD is difference in DO after 5 days Measures oxygen-consuming waste present in water Equipment DO meter Winkler titration

13. pH Organisms have optimal range (6.5 – 8.5) pH controls availability and “speciation” of many chemicals Photosynthesis (  pH) Respiration (  pH) “Acid” Rain (pH < 5.6) caused by NO x and SO 2 Industrial Wastewater

14. pH Measure of hydrogen ion concentration Equipment Color indicators pH Meter

15. Alkalinity Calcium carbonate CaCO 3 – lime Carbonic acid – CO 2 + H 2 O = H 2 CO 3 Bases (OH - ) Phosphate (PO 4 3- ) Wastewater Stormwater Runoff

16. Alkalinity Measure of acid buffering capacity Equipment Acid (H 2 SO 4 ) titration pH endpoint (~pH 4.5) can be measured using color indicator or pH meter Bromcresol Green- Methyl Red – changes from green to pink at pH 4.5 pH Drops acid added 7.0 4.5

17. Turbidity/Total Suspended Solids Caused by sediment, algae and organic material Inhibits plant growth Decreases visibility for visual feeders Inhibits gill respiration Smothers eggs

18. 90  Light Detector Transmitted Light Detector Light source Tungsten Lamp LensSample Vial Turbidity Measure of light scattering Equipment Secchi disk Turbidity tube Turbidimeter

19. Total Suspended Solids Measure of solids in water Equipment Filter funnel 1.0  m filter Drying oven Dessicator Glass Fiber Filter (0.45 or 1.0 μm) Total suspended solids (TSS) Water sample Total dissolved solids (TDS)

20. Nutrients Phosphorus and Nitrogen - essential “macronutrients” for plants and animals Usually not obtained from air “Limiting nutrients” Excess can lead to Eutrophication

21. Phosphorus Soluble Reactive Phosphorus (SRP) aka orthophosphorus (PO 4 3- ), but due to pH, most will be HPO 4 2- or H 2 PO 4 - “bio-available” P Total Phosphorus SRP + bound phosphorus P adsorbs to surfaces of organic & inorganics (suspended sediment) P absorbs into large organic & inorganics

22. Nitrogen Ammonia (NH 3 ) and nitrate (NO 3 ) are 2 most common forms Ammonia can be NH 3 (toxic) or NH 4 + (ammonium) Nitrate is VERY soluble & preferred N source for plants. Nitrate toxic >10 mg/L

23. Chlorine and Chloride Chlorine (Cl 2 ) Doesn’t occur naturally Used for water treatment Good indicator of human impacts Chloride (Cl - ) Naturally present in salts Can be an indicator of human impacts

24. Nutrient Measurement Colorimetry - Color Change Colorimeter quantifies color change Light Detector - Absorbance Light source Tungsten Lamp LensSample Vial Filter