Download W3 turbidity-3

#ITIZEN 3CIENCE &ACT 3HEET 7
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4HIS TEST MEASURES THE CLOUDINESS OR LIGHT
SCATTERING EFFECT OF SUSPENDED MATERIALS IN THE
WATER 3OIL PARTICLES INCLUDING CLAY AND SILT
ALGAE AND MICROORGANISMS WILL AFFECT THE
TURBIDITY READING 4URBID WATER AFFECTS SITE
FEEDING lSH AND MAY CAUSE SEDIMENTATION
DOWNSTREAM )T CAN ALSO BE A SIGN OF MORE
SERIOUS PROBLEMS SUCH AS SOIL EROSION OR
EXCESSIVE ALGAE GROWTH 4HERE WILL ALMOST ALWAYS
BE MORE TURBIDITY IN WATER AFTER A RAINFALL AND IN
lELD RUNOFF THAN IN BASE STREAM mOW AND POND
READINGS 4RANSPARENCY IS ANOTHER WORD THAT
DESCRIBES THIS TEST AND IS THE OPPOSITE OF
TURBIDITY n HOW CLEAR THE WATER IS RATHER THAN
HOW CLOUDY IT IS
4URBIDITY MEASUREMENTS ARE CLOSELY RELATED TO
ANOTHER MEASUREMENT USED IN LABORATORIES CALLED
hTOTAL SUSPENDED SOLIDSv )N THIS CASE THE WATER
IS SIMPLY lLTERED AND THE SUSPENDED MATERIAL IS
WEIGHED +$(% GUIDELINES STATE THAT hSUSPENDED
SOLIDS ADDED TO SURFACE WATERS BY ARTIlCIAL
SOURCES SHALL NOT INTERFERE WITH THE BEHAVIOR
REPRODUCTION PHYSICAL HABITAT OR OTHER FACTORS
RELATED TO THE SURVIVAL AND PROPAGATION OF AQUATIC
OR SEMIAQUATIC LIFE OR TERRESTRIAL WILDLIFEv
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)N LAKES OCEANS AND DEEP RIVERS A STANDARD WAY
TO MEASURE TURBIDITY IS BY USING A 3ECCHI DISK
4HIS DISK IS PAINTED WITH ALTERNATING BLACK AND
WHITE QUARTERS AND IS LOWERED BY ROPE UNTIL IT IS
NOT VISIBLE 4HIS DEPTH IS RECORDED AND IS A
MEASURE OF THE RELATIVE CLARITY OF THE WATER
"ECAUSE MANY OF THE SAMPLING LOCATIONS ARE NOT
DEEP ENOUGH TO TAKE A STANDARD 3ECCHI DISK
READING WE USE A MODIlED METHOD )N THIS CASE
A CLEAR 0LEXIGLASS TUBE AND A 3ECCHI DISK ICON ARE
USED 4HESE ARE AVAILABLE FROM SEVERAL
COMMERCIAL SOURCES OR A MODIlED VERSION CAN
BE CREATED AT HOME /RDERING INFORMATION IS
INCLUDED AT THE END OF THIS FACT SHEET
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4HIS TEST SHOULD BE CONDUCTED IN THE lELD AT
YOUR SAMPLING SITE BECAUSE OF THE VOLUME OF
WATER REQUIRED 4HE OTHER TESTS REQUIRE LESS THAN
A CUP SO PERFORMING THIS TEST IN THE lELD
ELIMINATES THE NEED TO HAUL SO MUCH WATER BACK
TO THE PLACE YOU WILL PERFORM THE TESTS )N THE
lELD STAND IN THE SHADE OR HOLD THE TUBE IN
FRONT OF YOU WITH YOUR BACK TO THE SUN TO AVOID
HAVING SUNLIGHT CREATING REmECTIONS WHILE YOU
ARE TAKING A READING
%JSFDUJPOT
#LOSE THE DRAIN TUBE BY SQUEEZING THE WHITE
PLASTIC CRIMP &IGURE &ILL THE 0LEXIGLASS TUBE WITH THE WATER
SAMPLE
7HILE LOOKING DOWN THROUGH THE OPENING
OF THE TUBE PARTIALLY OPEN THE DRAIN CRIMP
AND SLOWLY DRAIN OFF THE SAMPLE #ONTROL
THE mOW BY SQUEEZING THE CRIMP
7HEN THE BLACKANDWHITE 3ECCHI PATTERN
AT THE BASE OF THE TUBE FAINTLY BEGINS TO
APPEAR IMMEDIATELY TIGHTEN THE CRIMP AND
RECORD THE WATER LEVEL REMAINING VIA THE
CENTIMETER SCALE ON THE SIDE OF THE TUBE
9OU MAY RElLL THE TUBE AND REPEAT THIS STEP
IF YOU ARENT SURE WHEN THE ICON APPEARS
OR IF YOU MISS IT THE lRST TRY OR TO INCREASE
ACCURACY &IGURE .OTE 4HIS IS DIFlCULT AT lRST AND YOU MIGHT
WANT TO WORK WITH A PARTNER AND COMPARE
READINGS 7ORK IN AN AREA WITH BRIGHT BUT NOT
GLARING LIGHT
)F THE ICON IS VISIBLE WHEN THE TUBE IS FULL
EG CM RECORD THE VALUE ON YOUR DATA
SHEET AT CM
7
4URBIDITY
4RANSPARENCY
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7
4URBIDITY
4RANSPARENCY
4HE INTERPRETATION OF YOUR TURBIDITY READING IS
THAT THE GREATER THE WATER DEPTH THE LESS
TURBIDITY )N GENERAL WATER THAT CLEARER OR LESS
TURBID IS OF HIGHER QUALITY "UT THE OTHER TESTS
YOU WILL RUN WILL DETERMINE IF THERE ARE DISSOLVED
NUTRIENTS OR OTHER FACTORS NOT RELATED TO TURBIDITY
4URBID WATER IS NOT GOOD FOR AQUATIC LIFE BECAUSE
IT BLOCKS SUNLIGHT AND CAUSES WATER TO WARM AND
SOIL OR OTHER PARTICLES MAY HAVE PHOSPHORUS
ATTACHED TO THEM )F YOUR TUBE HAS OR MORE
CENTIMETERS OF WATER AND YOU CAN SEE THROUGH IT
IT IS NOT CARRYING MUCH SUSPENDED SILT OR ALGAE
AND IS PRETTY CLEAR
2EFERRING TO THE TABLE BELOW RECORD THE
CENTIMETER MEASUREMENT FROM THE TUBE ONTO YOUR
DATA SHEET AND ENTER IT ON YOUR SCORECARD .OW
SAMPLE YOUR STREAM FROM WHERE IT ENTERS YOUR
FARM TO WHERE IT LEAVES AND THE POINTS IN
BETWEEN .OTE IF THE TURBIDITY GOES UP OR DOWN
AS IT mOWS THROUGH YOUR FARM AND IF IT RISES AT
CERTAIN POINTS WHERE lELD RUNOFF MAY BE A
CONTRIBUTING FACTOR 4HIS COULD INDICATE SOIL
EROSION AND RUNOFF OR INCREASED ALGAE IN THE
WATER DUE TO NUTRIENT RUNOFF 2ECORD THE
MEASUREMENT ON YOUR DATA SHEET AND THE SCORE
FROM THE TABLE BELOW ON YOUR SCORECARD
&IGURE 2EAD THE TRANSPARENCY TUBE WHILE
LOOKING AT THE 3ECCHI DISK ICON AT THE BOTTOM
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7E USE A MODEL MANUFACTURED BY ,AWRENCE
%NTERPRISES )NC 0/ "OX 3EAL (ARBOR -%
4ELEPHONE FAX WWWWATERMONITORINGEQUIPCOM
!PPROXIMATE COST IS PER TUBE WITH POSSIBLE
DISCOUNTS FOR QUANTITY PURCHASE 4HIS OR SIMILAR
TUBES MAY BE AVAILABLE FROM SEVERAL SUPPLIERS
INCLUDING "EN -EADOWS AND &ORESTRY 3UPPLY
,ONGER TUBES ARE AVAILABLE 7E SUGGEST THE INCH TUBE BECAUSE IT IS LONG ENOUGH TO BE
ACCURATE AND SHORT ENOUGH TO BE EASY TO USE
&IGURE 7HEN THE 3ECCHI DISK ICON
BECOMES VISIBLE STOP THE mOW OF WATER AND
TAKE THE READING FROM THE SIDE OF THE TUBE IN
CENTIMETERS
"RAND NAMES APPEARING IN THIS PUBLICATION ARE FOR PRODUCT
IDENTIlCATION PURPOSES ONLY .O ENDORSEMENT IS INTENDED
NOR IS CRITICISM IMPLIED OF SIMILAR PRODUCTS NOT MENTIONED
4URBIDITY 2ATING
n "EST
4URBIDITY READING IS
CM OR HIGHER
n 'OOD
4URBIDITY READING IS
TO CM
n &AIR
4URBIDITY READING IS
TO CM
n 0OOR
4URBIDITY READING IS
LESS THAN CM
#ONTENTS OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE FREELY REPRODUCED FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES !LL OTHER RIGHTS RESERVED )N EACH CASE CREDIT 2HONDA *ANKE 2EBECCA -OSCOU AND
-ORGAN 0OWELL #ITIZEN 3CIENCE 7ATER 1UALITY 4ESTING 3ERIES 0+ 7 4URBIDITY4RANSPARENCY +ANSAS 3TATE 5NIVERSITY *UNE +ANSAS 3TATE 5NIVERSITY !GRICULTURAL %XPERIMENT 3TATION AND #OOPERATIVE %XTENSION 3ERVICE
0+ 7
*UNE +3TATE 2ESEARCH AND %XTENSION IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY PROVIDER AND EMPLOYER )SSUED IN FURTHERANCE OF #OOPERATIVE %XTENSION 7ORK !CTS OF -AY AND *UNE AS AMENDED +ANSAS 3TATE 5NIVERSITY #OUNTY %XTENSION #OUNCILS %XTENSION $ISTRICTS AND 5NITED 3TATES $EPARTMENT OF !GRICULTURE #OOPERATING &RED !
#HOLICK $IRECTOR