Water Quality of the Ottawa River
Introduction
Purpose:
The purpose of the study was to determine the quality of the Ottawa River and identifying any human activities that may affect water quality by sampling for benthic invertebrates, measuring the water temperature, testing for pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, examining the odour, colour, and appearance of the water, the amount of grasses, shrubs, trees, and known uses of the waterway.
Description:
Various human activities that may affect water quality include municipal wastewater, urban stormwater, industrial wastewater, dams, agriculture, and wetland destruction. However environmental groups such as the Ottawa River Keepers have been formed to protect, promote and improve the health and future of the Ottawa River.
Location and Map:
Site 1 located downstream was Petrie Island. Site 2 located upstream was Westboro Beach.
Chemical Characteristics:
Petrie Island had a water temperature of 8° C, dissolved oxygen level of 8 ppm, pH level of 7, and turbidity level of 27cm. Westboro beach had a water temperature of 11° C, dissolved oxygen level of 9 ppm, pH level of 7.5, and turbidity level of 50 cm. Higher water temperature means more movement and more life, lower water temperatures mean less movement and less life. Dissolved oxygen is a basic requirement for a healthy aquatic ecosystem. It is measured in parts per million, the higher the higher the DO concentration the better. Most fish species cannot survive in DO concentrations less than 4ppm. pH is represented on a scale from 0 to 14 with 7 being neutral, natural waters usually have a pH between 6 and 9. pH levels below 6 are acidic and pH levels above 8 are basic. Many biological processes cannot function in acidic waters such as reproduction, basic water can also harm fish by denaturing cellular membranes. Turbidity is the measure of cloudiness, the lower the turbidity the cloudier the water. Low turbidity can be caused by soil erosion and urban runoff. Turbidity is not a major
Purpose:
The purpose of the study was to determine the quality of the Ottawa River and identifying any human activities that may affect water quality by sampling for benthic invertebrates, measuring the water temperature, testing for pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, examining the odour, colour, and appearance of the water, the amount of grasses, shrubs, trees, and known uses of the waterway.
Description:
Various human activities that may affect water quality include municipal wastewater, urban stormwater, industrial wastewater, dams, agriculture, and wetland destruction. However environmental groups such as the Ottawa River Keepers have been formed to protect, promote and improve the health and future of the Ottawa River.
Location and Map:
Site 1 located downstream was Petrie Island. Site 2 located upstream was Westboro Beach.
Chemical Characteristics:
Petrie Island had a water temperature of 8° C, dissolved oxygen level of 8 ppm, pH level of 7, and turbidity level of 27cm. Westboro beach had a water temperature of 11° C, dissolved oxygen level of 9 ppm, pH level of 7.5, and turbidity level of 50 cm. Higher water temperature means more movement and more life, lower water temperatures mean less movement and less life. Dissolved oxygen is a basic requirement for a healthy aquatic ecosystem. It is measured in parts per million, the higher the higher the DO concentration the better. Most fish species cannot survive in DO concentrations less than 4ppm. pH is represented on a scale from 0 to 14 with 7 being neutral, natural waters usually have a pH between 6 and 9. pH levels below 6 are acidic and pH levels above 8 are basic. Many biological processes cannot function in acidic waters such as reproduction, basic water can also harm fish by denaturing cellular membranes. Turbidity is the measure of cloudiness, the lower the turbidity the cloudier the water. Low turbidity can be caused by soil erosion and urban runoff. Turbidity is not a major