Ottawa Watershed

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Ottawa Watershed
By Anna Henry, Ruth Lee, Amanda Kurtz, and
teacher mentor- Jill McMasters
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Information on Ottawa Watershed

• 372 square mile watershed
• Population 100,230
• Located in NW, Ohio
• It flows into Lake Erie
• Has mostly row crops around watershed areas.

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Problem

• What are the causes of impairment in the Ottawa
  Watershed?

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Hypotheses

• When the maximum level of nitrogen increases, the
  IBI decreases.
• As the availability of food in the stream
  increases, the number of predators also increase.
• The IBI score will drop as the BOD rises.

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QuestionIs the raised levelof nitrogen in the
stream causing lower levels of IBI (fish
population)?HypothesisWhen the maximum level
of nitrogen increases, the IBI (fish population)
decreases.
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Conclusion

• As the maximum level of nitrogen increases, the
  IBI decreases.
• Our information supports our hypothesis.

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Hypothesis Two

• As the availability of food in the stream
  increases, the number of predators also increase.

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Predator VS Prey

• The Predators are fish(IBI)
• The Prey are the macroinvertebrates(ICI)

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Food Chain
Herons
Humans
Eagles
Fish
Macroinvertebrates
Algae
Plant life
Bacteria
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ICI VS IBI Graph

• As the ICI increases, the IBI also increases.
• ICI- prey
• IBI- predator

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Conclusion

• As prey increases, so will predator
• More food available

• As prey decreases, so will predator
• Less food available

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Hypothesis 3

• Question
• How do the levels of Biological Oxygen Demand
  (BOD) effect the IBI Scores?
• Hypothesis
• The IBI scores will drop as the BOD rises.

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channelization
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Channelization

• Channelization has some bad effects on the stream
• It straightens the meanders
• It destroys the Riparian zone
• Increased erosion upstream buries the substrate
• Increased algae growth

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Conclusion

• In most of the situations the data did support
  our hypothesis
• As the BOD increased the IBI decreased
• In one situation the data did not support our
  hypothesis
• The IBI decreased with the BOD

• Why did the IBI decrease
• Channelization Dam construction
• Industrial municipal Point Sources
• Combined Sewer Overflow
• Landfills
• Urban Runoff/Storm Sewers

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Final Conclusion

• In conclusion we found that the fish are the best
  measurement of water quality for the Ottawa
  watershed.
• Fish need low nutrient levels, macroinvertebrates
  for food, and a high amount of oxygen in order to
  flourish.

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We would like to thank

• Jill McMasters
• Steve Gordon
• Paula Williams
• Kathryn Kelly
• Julie Burns

• Leslie Southern
• Amy Sheaffer
• Shannon Schraegle
• YWSI staff
• OSC staff