The Urban Naturalists braved the cold to do some very important water testing today! We took a hike through the Blackstone Park and assess what animals were still around at this time of year. We collected some water samples and discussed what things affect water quality. We tested the following:
Nitrates: These enter our water systems both naturally and by humans. A big factor of nitrates in our fresh water ponds and streams is by runoff of fertilizers from people's lawns. Nitrates in a normal range are not bad for ponds, but excess nitrates can cause huge problems for the pond's delicate balance
Dissolved Oxygen: It is important to have alot of dissolved oxygen in the water to help support life in the pond! Many factors can effect the levels of dissolved oxygen including excess plants and algae growing in the pond.
pH: It is important that water stays as close to neutral as possible. Water that is too acidic or too basic, the life within the pond will not be able to survive and thrive.
We did some tests on York Pond in Blackstone Park. Just off River Rd.
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| Jacqui shows us the kit! |
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| Discussion of what each of the tests tell us |
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| Daniel reads us the directions |
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| Nico tests the pH for us |
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| ...and tells everyone about how important it is to have clean water! |
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| Our test of pH shows that we are looking at a pH of 6. Considering that 7 is neutral (the best it could be) our pond has pretty good pH! |
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| Our Nitrate levels were quite low - between 0 - 5 ppm. This is good, but we also think that it helps that it's fall and most people are not adding fertilizer to their lawns right now |
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| The Dissolved Oxygen was between 4 - 8 ppm, which is pretty good! Our plants and animals have some wonderful oxygen to help them grow! |
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