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Lab: Water Quality Lab: Water Quality in the Pajaro Valleyin the Pajaro Valley

What is a What is a watershedwatershed

??

What do watersheds What do watersheds do for us and all the do for us and all the living things around living things around

them? them?

EutrophicationEutrophication1. Fertilizer containing

nitrogen (N) & phosphorous (P) runs off into water

2. Algae grow & reproduce fast

3. Algae die4. Bacteria break down

dead algae5. Bacteria use up all

oxygen in water6. All organisms die

without oxygenPinto Lake (Sept 2010 – LA

Times)

Water Quality Tests: Water Quality Tests: pH pH

Stomach acid Vinegar Lemon juice

Pure water

Baking soda Soap Bleach

Acidic

Neutral

Basic

1

7

14

Water Quality Tests: Water Quality Tests:

Nitrate (Nitrate (NO3))

Contained in fertilizer

OO

O

N

Water Quality Tests: Water Quality Tests: Phosphate (POPhosphate (PO44))

Contained in • Fertilizer• Soap/detergent

O

O

OO P

Water Quality Tests: Water Quality Tests: Dissolved Oxygen (ODissolved Oxygen (O22))

All animals breathe oxygen!

Reduced by eutrophicationO

O

Water Quality Tests: Water Quality Tests: TurbidityTurbidity

Turbidity =

cloudinessof the waterfrom dirt &

algae

pHpH

NitrateNitrate

PhosphatePhosphate

Dissolved OxygenDissolved Oxygen

TurbidityTurbidity

Choose Choose TWOTWO tests to tests to dodo

Tap Water

Pinto Lake

Pacific Ocean

Pajaro River

Watsonville Slough

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