Dissolved Oxygen DO

1
Dissolved Oxygen (DO)

• Meaghann Terrien
• Nick Braun
• 4/29/03

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Effects of Landuse on DO Percent Saturation

• The purpose of this study is to determine the
  quality of water in the Blackwater Creek
  Watershed and whether or not water quality is
  affected by landuse
• We used Dissolved Oxygen Percent Saturation as
  our basis for determining the water quality
• Types of landuses forested, agricultural,
  residential and commercial

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Dissolved Oxygen

• Dissolved Oxygen is the amount of gaseous oxygen
  dissolved in aqueous solution
• Expressed in mg/L or parts per million (ppm)
• Gets into water by diffusion from air, by
  aeration (riffles), and plant photosynthesis

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DO Percent Saturation

• Same principle as DO with out the temperature
  dependence
• Cold water supports more dissolved oxygen
• Warmer water holds less oxygen

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Classification Based on DO (percent saturation)
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Water Quality Index
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Basis for Classification

• Excellent Sufficient oxygen available for
  biological organic activity
• Good Fairly sufficient oxygen available for
  biological organic activity
• Fair
• 120 Too much DO causes stress to fish too much
  biological activity (Sub-Aquatic Vegetation)
• 70-80 Not enough DO (Eutrofication by bacteria
  as algae die)
• Poor Not enough DO to support biological activity

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Possible FactorsThat Lower DO
Algae
Bacteria
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Classification of Our Stream Sites

• Excellent
• Peaks View Park - Residential
• Chafins Farm - Agricultural
• Jefferson Forest - Forested
• Dreamy Creek
• - Residential / Commercial

• Good
• Hollands Mill
• - Forested
• Rockcastle Creek near Walmart and Cracker Barrel
• - Commercial

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Hollands Mill - Forested
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Hollands Mill Continued

• Quality Good
• Was excellent till this year
• Reason?
• Higher precipitation this year
• More water dropping over the dam
• Point where all tributaries hit Blackwater Creek
• Ivy, Dreamy and Rockcastle

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Chafins Farm - Agricultural
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Chafins Farm Continued

• Quality Excellent
• Reason?
• Headwaters
• Less impervious soil for runoff of nutrients
• BMPs in place
• Tree tubes
• Cows no longer in stream

14
Jefferson Forest Residential/Forested
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Jefferson Forest Continued

• Quality Excellent
• Reason?
• Plenty of shade due to tree growth
• Cars Impact?
• Improvements
• A bridge is being added over the summer

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Conclusions

• Based on our results for each site, we do not
  feel that landuse affects the DO percent
  saturation water quality
• Values between landuse types are fairly
  consistent
• None of the landuse types seem more or less
  conducive to DO

17
References

• Dissolved Oxygen. Retrieved on April 27, 2003.
  http//www.state.ky.us/nrepc/water/wcpdo.htm
• Friends of Five Creeks. Retrieved on April 27,
  2003. http//www.fivecreeks.org/monitor/do.html