Download Water Quality

Water Quality
Temperature: measured in degrees Celsius.
Dissolved Oxygen (DO): measure of the amount of oxygen gas that is dissolved or
“carried” in water; measured in milligrams per liter [mg / L].
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS): measure of material dissolved in water; measured in
milligrams per liter [mg / L]. Dissolved solids enter water naturally as it flows over rock
or soil, or they can result from pollution. Some examples are calcium, carbonate,
sodium, chloride (these are called ions).
Turbidity: measure of the visible (not dissolved) particles suspended in water;
measured in NTUs. Turbidity is a measure of the “cloudiness” of water. An example of
something that can make water turbid or “cloudy” are small soil particles.
Beaker Measurements
Add Salt
TDS
Tap water________mg/L
w/ Salt ________ mg / L
w/ Soil ________ mg / L
Then
Turbidity (circle one)
Clear Cloudy
Clear Cloudy
Clear Cloudy
Add Soil
Turbidity (NTU)
How else could you measure water quality (if you didn’t have probes)?
Jordan River Water Quality
Temperature
[°C]
DO
[mg / L]
TDS
[mg / L]
Turbidity
Turbidity
(NTU)
Rainbow Trout
< 20
(> 25 lethal)
>4
< 1000
clear
< 500
Carp
< 27
>4
< 5000
clear or
cloudy
> 500
Tap Water
Little
Cottonwood
Creek
Jordan River
How many macroinvertebrates (bugs, snails, and worms) can you find?
Draw a picture of a few examples: