1. River Raisin &
Stony Creek
Water Quality Project
Sponsored by the Monroe County ISD
Mr. Dornberg
Mrs. Hunter
2. Why are we doing this?
"We do not just drink water; we are water.
Water constitutes 50 to 90 percent of the
weight of all living organisms. It is one of
the most abundant and important
substances on the Earth.”
- GLOBE, Hydrology, The Big Picture
3.
4. About 21% of the world's supply of surface fresh water is
contained in the five Great Lakes
5. Freshwater lakes contain .007% of all the water in the world
The world’s water
<2 Tablespoons
Source: Igor Shiklomanov's chapter "World fresh water resources" in Peter H. Gleick (editor), 1993, Water in Crisis: A
Guide to the World's Fresh Water Resources (Oxford University Press, New York).
6. What is a Watershed?
“A watershed is the area of land where all of the water that is
under it or drains off of it goes into the same place.” -US EPA
7.
8. River Raisin Watershed Facts
• Approximately 1,072 square miles, 150 miles long
• Home to 140,000 people
• 5 Michigan Counties: Lenawee, Monroe,
Washtenaw, Jackson, Hillsdale; small portion of
Fulton County Ohio
• Over 400 lakes & ponds
• 3,000 miles of man-made drainage systems
Source: http://riverraisin.org/features/river_raisin_watershed_info/index_html
9.
10. Stony Creek Watershed Facts
• Relatively small area:
– 32 miles long, 8 miles at widest point
• Washtenaw and Monroe counties in Michigan
• Upper watershed is highly developed
• Lower watershed is primarily agricultural
Source: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/deq/ess-nps-wmp-stony-creek_208933_7.pdf
11. What do you see?
http://www.wildeducation.org/programs/nww06/watershed_illustration.html
12. The Circle of River Life
Source: Everyone Lives in a Watershed
15. REAL Science!
• Water temperature
• pH
• Dissolved oxygen
• Nitrates
• Salinity
16. Dissolved Oxygen
• Sources of DO
– aquatic plants
– aeration: waterfalls, waves, splashing
• Range of values: 0 to 16 mg/L
• Changes throughout the day and
throughout the year
17. Dissolved Oxygen Levels
• < 3.0 mg/L : most organisms die
• < 5.0 mg/L : cause for concern
• < 7.5 mg/L : sensitive organisms die
18. Nitrates
• Needed for aquatic plant growth
• Too much causes growth of algae and
excessive plant growth
• Levels affected by run-off
• Generally range from 0 to 10 ppm
19. pH
• Measures the acid content of water
• Ranges from 0 – 14.0
• 7.0 is considered “neutral”
• Most lakes and streams: 6.5 to 8.5
• Affected by geology and rainfall
20. Coke & Pepsi 2.5
Most amphibians and insects can’t survive if
pH is <4 or >10
21. Salinity
• Measures dissolved salts in water
• Measured in “parts per million” or ppm
• Oceans: average 35000 ppm
• Fresh water:
<500 ppm <1000 ppm
22. Salinity 500 to 1500 ppm
• Can be consumed by humans although
most would prefer water in the lower half
of this range if available
• Can be used for irrigation depending on
plant/crop tolerance
• Suitable for all livestock
Source: http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/dpi
23. Salinity 1500 to 6000 ppm
• Not recommended for human consumption.
Water up to 1800 ppm could be drunk if
nothing else available
• Not normally suitable for irrigation, though
water up to 3600 ppm can be used on very
salt tolerant crops
• Water over 2400 ppm can cause shell
cracking in laying hens
• Drinking water for poultry and pigs should be
limited to about 3600 ppm
• Most other stock can use water up to 6000
ppm
24. Safety First
• Life jackets
• Gloves
• Goggles
• Long sleeves
• No shorts
• No sandals, open-toe shoes, or heels
