Water Quality and its Importance for Eastern Brook Trout

Kevin Gianini

Introduction

This is an interdisciplinary unit that is taught throughout the school year. The main goal is for

students to develop their skills in using the scientific process as they make a positive contribution

to their community. We begin by testing Sawyer Brook (in Grantham, NH) for e-coli. Next, we

investigate the water cycle and the heat capacity of water. We then investigate watersheds and

ideal eastern brook trout habitat. Students will also use a stream table to investigate stream

geomorphology. The life cycle of the eastern brook is investigated as students document the

developing trout that we will release into the brook behind our school in May. Students will

conduct water quality assessments to ensure that we are releasing them into a healthy

environment. The unit concludes in May when the fish are released and the students present their

water quality data to New Hampshire Fish and Game.

Topics

The unit will consist of four related topics:

1. River geomorphology

2. Ecology and life cycle of brook trout

3. Watershed geology and geography

4. Physical, chemical, and biological assessment of water quality

Objectives

By the end of this unit my students will be able to:

1. Describe and illustrate the water cycle including the processes of precipitation,

condensation, and evaporation.

2. Describe why it is important for town planners to consider stream geomorphology when

planning construction projects.

3. Describe the life cycle of a brook trout.

4. Describe some aspects of brook trout ecology including organisms that benefit brook

trout and those that indicate a healthy habitat.

5. Describe the local geology and geography of the Connecticut River Watershed.

6. Perform physical, biological, and chemical water quality assessments, hands on

investigations, and follow the scientific process to find out if Sawyer Brook (in

Grantham, NH) is an appropriate site to release brook trout.

7. Write a report and use it to create a Power point presentation of their watershed

assessment data. This will be presented to a Judy Tumosa of New Hampshire Fish and

Game.

8. The values I hope they gain from this experience are respect for our watershed, a desire

to conserve and protect this resource, and an appreciation for our connection and

dependence on it.

New Hampshire Grade Five Standards Addressed

S:SPS1:6:1.1 Make observations and record measurements using a variety of tools and instruments. S:SPS1:6:1.2 Provide examples of how all organisms, including humans, impact their

environment; and explain how some changes can be detrimental to other organisms.

S:LS3:6:1.2 Explain how changes in environmental conditions can affect the survival of individual

organisms and the entire species.

S:SPS1:6:1.8 Ask questions about relationships between and among observations. S:SPS1:6:4.1 Use appropriate tools to organize, represent, analyze and explain data. S:SPS1:6:4.5 Draw appropriate conclusions based on data collected.

S:LS2:6:1.1 Identify and describe the factors that influence the number and kinds of organisms

an ecosystem can support, including the resources that are available, the differences in

temperature, the composition of the soil, any disease, the threat of predators, and competition

from other organisms.

S:LS3:6:1.1 Provide examples of how all organisms, including humans, impact their environment; and explain how some changes can be detrimental to other organisms. S:LS3:6:1.2 Explain how changes in environmental conditions can affect the survival of individual organisms and the entire species.

Summary of Activities

1. Students will investigate how the water cycle works by observing as I use a model of a

mountainous landscape to demonstrate precipitation, evaporation, and condensation.

Before the demonstration they will predict what will happen to the steam (from the

boiling water) after I put ice cubes on top of the cover. They will share their predictions

and their reasoning. As they observe what happens they will draw and write their

observations. After they have observed, drawn, and described every phase of the process

they will infer why these changes occurred.

2. Students will investigate the high heat capacity of water by heating and cooling water

and sand as they keep track of the time it takes for these materials to heat up and cool

down. Student will demonstrate their understanding of the concept by making a graph of

the temperature changes and times. After class discussion, students will be able to explain

why high heat capacity is important for brook trout.

3. Students will observe and chart the development of brook trout eggs, alevin, and fry

by observing, drawing, and documenting the changes that occur. This will be

accomplished by keeping a journal of the process. They will respond to specific prompts

that ask them to observe and reflect on what is happening during development of the

eggs, alevin, and fry. Judy Tumosa of NH Fish and Game will also visit to do a lesson on

the later stages of trout development and trout ecology. Her presentation will include an

activity in which students will practice identifying the aquatic benthic macro-

invertebrates trout depend on. She will also briefly touch on the idea that these organisms

can indicate the condition of their habitat.

4. Students will be able to explain what a watershed is by mapping the local watershed

surrounding our school. They will use Google Earth to do some mapping activities of

Sawyer Brook. Next, they will place Grantham in the Black-Ottauquechee sub –

watershed that makes up one portion of the CT River Watershed. Then they will complete

a watershed puzzle that shows our sub-watershed and how it fits together with all of the

other sub-watersheds that make up the CT River watershed. The puzzle will be glued to a

background and displayed as a poster.

5. Students will be able to explain the causes, consequences, and prevention of erosion

by using a stream table to design and test plans for road construction and a building

development next to our school. The objective is to create a plan that causes the least

amount of erosion around “Sawyer Brook.”

6. Students will be able to describe the consequences of deforestation and other human

disturbances near trout streams by using an interactive website where they remove

forests and build structures near trout habitat. The program simulates what happens to the

trout population over a period of six months as students place forest and structures uphill,

downhill, and at the same elevation as the stream.

7. Students will be able to explain some important physical characteristics of brook

trout habitat by researching, drawing, and defining specific features that these fish

require. Then they will create a diorama of an ideal brook trout stream that includes all of

those features.

8. Students will be able to describe some of the benthic macro-invertebrates (BMIs)

that indicate good water quality for brook trout by participating in activities in which

they match pictures of these macro-invertebrates with descriptions. Then they will

practice performing BMI indexing using pictures of these organisms. (BMI indexing is an

analysis of the BMIs that helps determine water quality.) Finally, they will conduct field

work collecting BMIs from the brook behind the school, and perform BMI indexing to

assess the water quality. Jenna Guarino (Content Specialist) will help with the practice

activities and the field work.

9. Students will be able to explain some of the physical and chemical analyses used to

determine habitat health by measuring the depth, velocity, temperature, embeddedness,

turbidity, and dissolved oxygen of Sawyer Brook.

10. Students will use the data they collect from their fieldwork to write a report and

create a presentation using Power point software. The presentation will be shared with

NH Fish and Game.

Assessment

All of the activities summarized above will be assessed using the student performance rubric

below. The grading system of 1-4 is the same one we use on all assignments and report cards in

our school. Informal assessment of student input during discussions and activities will occur

throughout the unit as well.

Student Performance Rubric

Grading Scale Comprehension of

Unit Concepts

Performance on

Activities

Quality and Depth of

Conclusions

4

Exceeds Fifth Grade

Expectations

Demonstrates

knowledge and depth of

understanding that

exceeds the objectives

of the unit.

All tasks were

performed with extreme

care and accuracy.

Student may have

discovered ways to

improve the tasks.

Student was able to

come to the correct

conclusions and even

included details,

insights, and

explanations above and

beyond what is

expected.

3

Meets Fifth Grade

Expectations

Demonstrates

knowledge and depth of

understanding that

meets the objectives of

the unit.

Most of the tasks were

performed carefully and

accurately.

The student was able to

come to the correct

conclusion, or a

reasonable, but not

exactly correct,

conclusion. The

reasoning was

explained.

2

Nearly Meets Fifth

Grade Expectations

Demonstrated a basic

understanding of some

of the objectives of the

unit.

Required significant

support in performing

the tasks correctly.

The student either came

to a conclusion that is

not supported by the

data, or came to a

reasonable conclusion,

but did not explain how.

1

Does Not Meet Fifth

Grade Expectations

Demonstrated a very

limited understanding of

some of the objectives

of the unit.

Was unable to perform

many of the tasks

correctly.

The student either did

not write a conclusion,

or wrote a conclusion

that is not supported by

the data with no

explanation of their

reasoning.

Water Cycle

Question:

What do you think the steam will do after we put the ice on top of the cover?

Procedure:

1. Observe what happens as Mr. Gianini pours the hot water into the tray.

Write your observations below, and draw this in your science notebook.

2. After the ice is put on top of the cover, observe the inside of the top of the

cover for a few minutes. Write your observations below, and draw this in

your science notebook.

Conclusions:

1. Think about the two changes you observed in step 2. Now, make a guess as

to why these changes took place.

What Heats up and Cools down Faster, Water or Sand? The Answer is Important to Brook

Trout Survival

Question:

1. What heats up and cools down faster, water or sand?

2. Why do you believe this?

Procedure:

1. Use a balance to measure 200 g of sand, and put it into one of the foam cups.

2. Pour 200 ml of water into the other foam cup. (Since 1 ml of water has a mass of 1 g, 200 ml

of water has a mass of 200 g. So use the balance.)

3. Attach the utility clamps to the ring stand.

4. Suspend the thermometers from the utility clamps with string. Adjust the height of each clamp

so the bulb of each thermometer is just covered by the sand or water. Make sure the thermometer

enters the sand and water at the center of the container.

5. Position the lamp 30 cm above the containers. Make sure the lamp gives an equal amount of

light to both containers.

6. Record the starting temperatures of the sand and water in the data table.

7. Turn on the lamp and record the temperatures of the sand and water every minute for 15

minutes. Make sure you also record observations and comments in the data table every time you

take a reading. For example: “water temperature rose faster this minute than it did the last

minute.”

8. After 15 minutes, turn the lamp off. Continue recording the temperatures of the sand and water

every minute for 15 more minutes.

9. Use your data table and grid paper to make a line graph that shows the temperature changes

and times for the water and the sand. The bottom of your graph should show the times, and the

side should show the temperatures. Make sure you use a different color line for the sand and the

water.

Conclusions: Answer these questions on the next page:

1. How much did the water and sand heat up after the first 15 minutes?

2. How much did the water and sand cool down after the last 15 minutes?

3. Which substance heated up faster?

4. Which substance kept its heat energy and cooled off more slowly?

5. If you add heat to matter (like water) the molecules that it’s made of move around faster.

The water needed more heat to get as hot as the sand because its molecules needed more

heat to start moving around faster. Why do you think water needs more heat to get the

molecules moving around faster? (Hint: Remember what we learned about water

molecules being “stuck” together.)

6. As we observed, water requires a lot of energy to heat up. This means that Sawyer Brook

will take longer to heat up in the spring than the land around it. Why is this important

for trout eggs laid by trout in the brook? (Hint: If trout eggs are kept cool, they grow

more slowly and hatch later in the spring. Think about how we are using he chiller to

keep the water in the tank cold so that the trout eggs don’t hatch too soon.)

Data Table

Time

(minutes)

Sand

Temperature

(Celsius)

Water

Temperature

(Celsius)

Comments

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

Water and Sand Temperature (Celsius)

T

E

M

P

E

R

A

T

U

R

E

T I M E

Testing Sawyer Brook for E coli

Learning Goals:

1. Students will learn that high levels of E coli can indicate pollution of the water from

septic systems and agricultural fields.

2. Students will learn how to use the Coliquant EZ test for E coli.

Materials:

Coliquant EZ - E coli test kit (available from Acorn Naturalists)

Cardboard box about 2 feet square

Heat lamp with a 100 watt bulb

thermometer

Directions:

1. Build background knowledge on the implications of excessive e-coli populations by reading “Water-Quality Indicators-Bacteria” and “How are Bacteria Measured?” with the

students.

2. About one week before you test the water source for e-coli, make an incubator using

the cardboard box by removing the top.

3. Place the heat lamp about 1 foot above the box shining down onto the box.

4. Place a thermometer in the box and let the temperature rise to its highest point.

5. You want the incubator to be 90-95 degrees F, so if it’s at that temperature keep the

lamp in that position. If not, raise or lower the lamp to adjust the temperature. It’s best

to make these adjustments before setting up the test so that it’s ready for when you

test the water. Keep track of the incubator temperature by having students record the

temperatures each day for one week. This will help you decide if adjustments needs to

be made.

6. To help the students build more background knowledge, show them the slide show

labeled “Slide Show E coli.”

7. Demonstrate to students the protocol described in the Coliquant EZ test kit.

8. Split students into groups of 3 and give each group a water sample vial.

9. Go outside to obtain water samples. Each group collects 1 sample.

10. Help students process the samples following the protocol described earlier. They should

include only 2 mL of the sample in the petri dish.

11. 24-72 hours later have students count the number of E coli colonies.

12. Next, they multiply the number of colonies by 50 to find out how many colonies would

be in 100 mL of water.

13. Have each student share their number of colonies so the class can find the average

number of colonies for all of the groups. They should use the data sheet titled “E coli in

Sawyer Brook….”

14. See “Slide Show E coli” to find out the state standards for acceptable levels of E coli.

Compare that number to what the students discovered.

E coli in Sawyer Brook/Grantham, NH-11/1/12

Groups Number of Colonies per 100 mL of Water

Average Number of Colonies per 100 mL of Water

Taken from: http://learn.bowdoin.edu/apps/hydrology/watersheds/book/export/html/129 and modified

Water-Quality Indicators

Bacteria

Bacteria are...

Escherichia coli, more commonly abbreviated

as E. coli, is a bacterium found in the gut

(intestines) of warm-blooded animals

(mammals--including humans--and birds).

Although a few strains of E. coli can cause

disease, most are harmless. E. coli is used as

an indicator organism for fecal (waste) input

into water bodies.

E. coli is one species of a broader group of

fecal coliform bacteria.

How are Bacteria Measured?

Chemical Indicators

Dissolved Oxygen

Dissolved oxygen, or DO, consists of widely

dispersed molecules of oxygen gas (O2)

dissolved in water.

Dissolved oxygen is an important water-quality

variable because it is necessary for fish, insect

larvae and other aquatic animals: it's what they

breathe!

Dissolved oxygen is also used as a source of

energy for some bacteria as they decompose

(break down) organic materials in waters (dead

plants, leaves, etc.) So if there are a lot of

bacteria there will be less dissolved oxygen for

the brook trout and their food (water bugs) to

live.

Tempertures of E-coli Incubation Box

Temperatures F° and C°

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

What is a Watershed?

A watershed is an area of land, such as a

mountain or valley, which collects rainwater into a common outlet. In Hawai‘i, the common

outlet is ultimately the ocean. Some of the rain is absorbed by plants, some of it is absorbed

underground, and the rest flows into surface rivers and streams. A critical component of a

watershed’s ability to collect rainwater is the existence of forests. Fog condensing on trees high

up in watershed areas can increase

rainfall collection and absorption by as much as 30% annually.

The Hawaiian equivalent of a watershed is the ahupua‘a. In Hawaiian cultural tradition, an

ahupua‘a is a land division with the streams and valleys serving as boundaries, varying on

different islands from as little as 100 acres to more than 100,000 acres. Ahupua‘a included the

land from the mountains to the coast, and the coastal ocean extending out to and including the

coral reef. Native Hawaiians also recognized the importance of forests in water production,

described in this proverb: “Hahai nō ka ua i ka ulu lā’au” – Rain always follows the forest (click

here to read more about linkages between forested watersheds and Native Hawaiian cultural

resources).

“In Hawai‘i, the most valuable product of the forest is water, rather than wood.”

— Ralph S. Hosmer, First Territorial Forester

Connecticut River Watershed Puzzle

1. Cut out each piece along the inner border.

2. Fit the pieces together correctly.

3. Show it to an adult to be sure it’s correct.

4. Glue each sub-watershed piece together with a glue stick.

5. Find Grantham and outline it with a black sharpie.

6. Color each sub-watershed a different color using only colored pencil.

7. Glue the attached sub-watersheds on to a poster board.

8. Outline the CT River using pencil first. Then after you have it checked by an

adult, outline it with a blue sharpie.

9. Use the map on the back to draw the states where the CT River Watershed

is.

STUDENT ACTIVITY

CONNECTICUT RIVER WATERSHED PUZZLE For this activity, explain to students that many sub-watersheds fit together like puzzle pieces to make the entire the Connecticut River watershed. Cut out the Connecticut River sub-watersheds on the following pages, then have students fit them together to form the entire four-state watershed (see diagram below). Note: You may want to photocopy these puzzle pieces on stiff paper so they are easier to work with. We suggest that you tape the pieces together and post this map on a wall where everyone in the school can see it during your WoW Express visit. Other student activities to do with the assembled map:

Use other maps to find their school’s location and mark it with a star.

Add the names of the major rivers, lakes, and cities in your area.

Research the birds that migrate along the Connecticut River and add their pictures to the map.

Write a story about the adventures of a water drop as it travels from the boundary of your subwatershed down to the Connecticut River and out to Long Island Sound. What happens to the water drop when it gets to the ocean?

Research the history of the Connecticut River valley and add historical points of interest to the map.

Use this map to draw the states where the CT River Watershed is.

Use pencil first before going over it with a black sharpie. (to be sure it

looks right)

When you have finished putting together your watershed puzzle go to the

following website to find out about Sawyer Brook:

http://vt.water.usgs.gov/projects/ct_atlas/index.htm

1. Scroll down and click on “Start Stream Information Tool.”

2. Click “hybrid.”

3. Zoom in on Grantham and find Learning Drive. You have found GVS.

4. Continue to zoom in until you can clearly see Sawyer Brook behind the

school.

5. Double click on the brook and wait for information to come up. Click on

“Stream and Watershed Characteristics Report.”

6. Observe the blue outline. You have now found the local watershed that

drains into Sawyer Brook.

7. Zoom out until you can see where our Sawyer Brook watershed is located

in the entire CT River Watershed.

8. Outline our Sawyer Brook Watershed on the CT River Watershed map

that you made with your group.

9. Go to the “Stream Information Report” page. Scroll down to the second

page and find the “mean annual temperature” of the brook and write it

down on the back of this sheet. This is the brook’s average temperature

throughout the year.

10. On the same page find out if there are any “toxic release sites” or “point

sources” of pollution. Write the answers on the back of this sheet.

11. Scroll down to page 3 and find out “the percent developed” (houses,

buildings) and “the percent forested.” Write the answers on the back of

this sheet.

12. Type up these facts that you discovered and attach it to the border of

your CT River Watershed map.

Mapping Our Local Watersheds/Activity One

Learning Goal:

Map Sawyer Brook on a Google satellite map

Directions for Activity One:

1. On Google Maps go to “maps.”

2. Go to “my places.”

3. Click “create map.”

4. Have students type the title “Sawyer Brook in Grantham NH.”

5. Assign each student a number and have them include that number after

the title. This way you (and each student) will know which map belongs to

each student.

6. Go to “satellite map”

7. Zoom in on Grantham, NH and find Grantham Village School.

8. Insert a location marker on the school.

9. Find the point at which Sawyer Brook ends at Stocker Brook (a little south

of the school).

10. Click the “Draw a Line” button.

11. Click at the junction of Sawyer Brook and Stocker Brook and follow Sawyer

Brook all the way to its three sources.

12. Click “save” above the title box.

Helpful Hints

Make sure “labels” is on.

To turn click then continue and follow the Brook

To find the brook in hard to see locations click the box that says “map.” Find

the brook and go back to “satellite” to continue tracing the brook.

To delete mistakes double click and then click “delete” button in “options”

box

To stop tracing double click and then click “okay”

Mapping Our Local Watersheds/Activity Two

Learning Goal:

Insert elevations of Sawyer Brook at different points on a Google elevation map

Directions for Activity Two:

1. Go to www.googlemaps.com/accounts

2. On Google Maps go to “maps.”

3. Go to “my places.”

4. Click “create map.”

5. Have students type the title “Sawyer Brook Elevations” Make sure they

include their number after the title.

6. Go to “terrain map”

7. Zoom in on Grantham, NH and find Grantham Village School.

8. Insert a location marker on the school.

9. Find the point at which Sawyer Brook ends at Stocker Brook (a little south

of the school).

10. On that spot place a location marker. Then write the title “End of Sawyer

Brook.” Now include the description “Elevation about 1,000 ft. above sea

level”.

11. Follow the brook up stream and at 1,200 ft. place another location bubble

on the brook. Follow Mr. Gianini’s directions to include a description.

12. Continue placing location markers at each elevation increase all the way to

the beginning of the brook. Follow Mr. Gianini’s directions to do this.

13. Click on “satellite map” and observe the locations you marked.

14. Click on “save” above the title box.

Helpful Hints

Make sure “labels” is on.

To delete mistakes double click and then click “delete” button in “options”

box

To stop working double click and then click “okay”

Mapping Our Local Watersheds/Activity Three

Learning Goal:

Insert locations of possible sources of pollution along Sawyer Brook on a Google

satellite map

Directions for Activity Three:

1. Go to www.googlemaps.com/accounts

2. On Google Maps go to “maps.”

3. Go to “my places.”

4. Click “create map.”

5. Have students type the title “Possible Source of Pollution for Sawyer Brook”

Make sure they include their number after the title.

6. Go to “satellite map”

7. Zoom in on Grantham, NH and find Grantham Village School.

8. Now find the small pond behind the school. (It’s next to Sawyer Brook.)

9. Insert a location marker on that pond and follow Mr. Gianini’s directions to

write a title and description.

10. Follow Mr. Gianini’s directions to mark the locations of possible sources of

pollution all the way to the beginning of the brook.

11. Click on “save” above the title box.

Helpful Hints

Make sure “labels” is on.

To delete mistakes double click and then click “delete” button in “options” box

To stop working double click and then click “okay”

Trout Journal

Taken from: http://www.troutintheclassroom.org/teachers/library/trout-journals

Objective: To encourage reflection about the trout and to help students keep a yearlong record of their

thoughts and experiences regarding their trout.

Background: By keeping a journal, students can slowly put together the story of the

watershed and the trout they’re caring for. Making these connections is important, to truly

understand the big picture that unites trout, streams, reservoirs, and the water that flows from

their tap.

Materials: premade notebook or handmade journal, images of trout, craft supplies such as old magazines

to cut up, glue sticks, markers, glue, sequins, fabric, etc.

Procedure:

1. First, introduce the idea of journaling, specifically around the topic of trout. This first

step should start before the trout eggs arrive in the classroom, perhaps just as the tank

is being set up.

2. Spend one period decorating and personalizing the trout journals. Students may need

images of trout and trout habitat for reference.

3. Make trout journaling a regular event, whether it’s daily, weekly, or something in

between. Journal prompts can connect to a topic or theme of the day, to help reinforce

other lessons. Some ideas for prompts are below.

4. Allow and encourage the students to draw pictures in their journals, as well as writing

text.

Wrap-up: At the end of the year, ask the students to review their journals—to reread them. Have the

students pick a favorite entry or a few highlights to share with the class or a small group. The

students could choose one entry to expand and/or edit into a more formal essay. They could

also “publish” this entry, complete with a color illustration.

Trout Journal Writing Prompts

What are you looking forward to about having trout in the classroom?

What would you like to do with the trout, while they are with us?

What do the trout eggs look like? Be very descriptive. What do you see inside?

What would you like to say to the trout, to welcome them to our classroom?

What was hatching like? How did you feel?

Observe one fish closely for one minute. Follow it with your eyes. What does it do?

How to the trout act in the morning? The afternoon?

How do the trout act when it’s dark? Light?

How do the trout act before feeding? After?

How do the trout act in cold weather? Warm weather?

What is your favorite trout job? Why?

What is your least favorite trout job? Why?

What happens when we feed the trout? Why do you think that is?

Are there any special trout in your tank? Why are they special?

What do you think the trout see when they look out of the tank? What are they

thinking?

How have the trout changed over the past few months? What is the same?

How do you feel about our upcoming release of trout? Why?

What advice would you give our trout on their way to their new home?

What did you see while releasing our trout? How did they behave?

How did you feel about releasing our trout? Why?

What was the most important thing you learned from raising trout?

Trout Development

Date Temperature Percent of

Development Today

Total Percent of

Development

2/29 40.0 F .714% 47.71%

3/1 40.0 F .714% 48.48%

3/2 39.9 F .708% 49.13%

Investigate the Effects of Development Near Trout Habitat

Learning Goal:

Find out how the construction of park can affect a nearby brook trout.

Directions for Investigation:

1. Log on to the internet and Google “pond-er this discovery,” read the

introduction with the class.

2. Follow directions on your computer as Mr. Gianini models how to do the

investigation. Be sure to write the results on the data sheet you were given.

3. Try running more tests on your own. First you must include the parking lot,

hiking trails, and playground equipment in all the possible locations.

(There are 6 different combinations possible). Then you can include

whichever things you want until your data sheet is completed. Don’t

forget to record your results after every test.

4. On your data sheet, look at the number of fish still alive at the end of

August. Put a star next to the combination that includes hiking trails,

parking lot, and playground equipment with the highest number of live

fish. Put a check mark next to the combination that includes hiking trails,

parking lot, and playground equipment with the lowest number of live

fish.

Conclusions:

1. Write the names of the things you put in each location for the combination

with the highest number of live fish at the end of August.

Area 1 Area 2 Area 3

2. Explain why you think that combination worked the best.

3. Write the names of the things you put in each location for the combination

with the lowest number of live fish at the end of August.

Area 1 Area 2 Area 3

4. Explain why you think so many fish died with that combination.

5. Pretend you are a developer in the real world and you want to build an

apartment complex with 10 units. The land you want to build on is

wooded. Part of it is uphill from a brook trout stream, and the rest is

downhill from the stream. You must use all of the property. Use

construction paper to draw a diagram of how you would build the

complex. Your goal is to place each part of the complex in a location that is

least likely to damage the stream. Show it from the side so that the uphill

and downhill areas can be seen. Be sure to label the diagram.

Then use writing paper to write a paragraph explaining why each thing is

in the location you placed it. Glue the paragraph on to the back of your

diagram. Don’t forget to include an introduction that explains what you’re

writing about, and a conclusion to sum up what you have written.

You must include the following:

a road leading into the complex

an apartment building

one parking lot

a recreation area that includes 3 play structures

a wooded area with hiking trails

Dream Stream

Taken from: http://www.troutintheclassroom.org/teachers/library/dream-stream

Objective: To verify that students understand the anatomy of a healthy stream, purposes of various parts,

and vocabulary to describe trout streams.

Background:

The clean cold streams of the Catskill Mountains provide an ideal habitat for trout and a

reliable source of drinking water for over 8 million New York City residents. The health of a

stream depends on many factors including vegetation, surrounding land, forested cover and

substrate. New York City's watershed steams and surrounding lands are monitored and taken

care of in order to protect the valuable resource of clean, cool and fresh water.

A healthy stream has many important parts. First, it has a partially to fully rocky substrate

(stream bed), such as gravel or boulders. As the cool water flows, it meanders (weaves back and

forth) over and around this substrate. The pattern of rocks and gravel makes the water act

differently in different parts of the stream. Sometimes, the water pools in flatter, calmer areas

and the water flow slows. In other areas, the highly variable substrate creates riffles—the areas

of bubbly, white water—that help oxygenate the water. When water flows quickly without

interruption by substrate, this is a run.

A healthy stream also holds and is bordered by many living things. Aquatic

macroinvertebrates, such as insects, mollusks, and crustaceans, live in every level of the water

column. Fish and plants also live within the stream. Then, the riparian zone—the area next to

the stream—must also be full of life. A healthy riparian zone has trees, shrubs, and/or

herbaceous plants, as well as animal wildlife. This riparian zone (the roots and debris) helps

filter surface water runoff and groundwater that might carry sediments and other pollutants that

would otherwise enter the stream.

Materials: images of healthy trout streams (start at www.tu.org), shoeboxes or other small boxes,

construction paper, glue, glue sticks, saran wrap, clay, and natural materials such as sticks, rocks,

leaves, small plants, etc.

Procedure:

1. Share trout stream images and vocabulary with your students, using magazines, books, or

the internet. (Older students can do this research themselves.)

2. Ask the students to imagine, in their minds’ eyes, the perfect trout stream. What is in the

stream? What is the shape of the stream’s path? What grows next to the stream? Where

are the best trout hiding spots?

3. In their shoeboxes, ask students to delineate their “dream stream” path, using a

pencil. This is a good first step to help them plan out everything else.

4. Now, let them go with materials. Students can use anything they brought or found, as

well as share with others. Gravel makes great substrate. Sticks with leaves or paper

make excellent trees, and stand up well in little balls of clay. As a final touch, it’s nice to

add saran wrap as the stream water.

5. Wrap-up: In small groups or as a class, ask students to share their dream streams with each

other. Have them give a tour. Perhaps they can give the tour as an angler, trout, or

mayfly, pointing out what is most important to them from that perspective.

Write the definitions of these terms. Then draw an example of each term on

the back.

1. Substrate

2. Pool

3. Riffle

4. Aquatic macro-invertebrate

5. Riparian zone

6. Runoff

7. Sediment

Building Your Dream Stream

You will build a stream that is ideal for brook trout using a box, construction paper,

sticks, plastic wrap, clay, glue, rocks, leaves, small plants and other natural

materials.

1. Imagine in your mind’s eye the perfect trout stream. What is the shape of the

stream’s path? What is in the stream? What grows next to the stream? Where

are the best trout hiding spots?

2. Use a pencil to draw the stream path. Be sure to include a pool.

3. Use the pictures and definitions of the terms you worked on so that you can

show the answers to the questions from step 1. Every term should be shown

in your project, and each one must be numbered so that you can include a

key that explains what each object is.

Helpful Hints:

Gravel, sand, and soil make great substrate.

Sticks with leaves or paper make excellent trees, and stand up well in little balls of

clay.

Plastic wrap over the surface of your stream makes it look more realistic. Color the

underside blue to make it look more like water.

Narrow strips of plastic wrap colored blue underneath make good runoff.

Make sure that the riparian zone is slightly higher than the stream.

Have Fun!!!

Trout Interactive Data Sheet

Test Area 1 Area 2 Area 3 Trout Alive in the end of June

Trout Alive in the end of July

Trout Alive in the end of August

Station #1: The River Table

Adapted from WoW Express, Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge

Purpose: The purpose of this lesson is to introduce students to river and watershed terminology, the ways in

which rivers shape the earth’s surface, and management decisions that can be made to manage rivers more

effectively. This lesson will focus on additional concepts based on related state science standards specified for

each grade level. Additional topics may include the water cycle, natural resource management, and pollution.

Objectives: As a result of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Define various terms related to watersheds and river geomorphology. 2. Describe how water can shape the earth’s surface. 3. Make decisions to effectively manage rivers. 4. Explain how pollution on land within the watershed can be carried into rivers, and ultimately the ocean.

Duration: 20 Minutes

Materials:

Emriver Em2 geomodel river table, with a meandering river channel formed through the center

Colored water in a squirt container

Objects for students to place in the river table, such as plastic houses, vegetation, farm animals, tractors, plastic parking lot, etc.

Instructional Procedures:

1) Begin with the water turned off. Introduce the river table and how it works, pointing out the recirculating water system. If the water cycle is part of the state standards of the group you are talking to, ask the students to explain how water is brought back to the top of the river in nature. Briefly explain the concepts of condensation, precipitation and evaporation and how these terms apply to watersheds.

2) Point out some main river features, such as the headwaters and the mouth of the river. Explain a little about the river meanders and how they form, including the outside bends (cut banks) and inside bends (point bars). Describe how erosion and deposition of sediments occurs in river bends.

3) Turn on the water to demonstrate these concepts to the students.

4) Hand each student a laminated vocabulary word. One word at a time, explain what the word means and allow the student to place it in the appropriate location on the river table.

5) Once all the words have been placed, ask the students to observe the river and tell you how it has changed since the water was turned on.

6) Hand each student a plastic item, such as vegetation, farms, farm animals or houses. Ask students to make a management decision about where they think the best location is for their item. One at a time, allow students to place their items on the table and explain why they chose the location that they did.

7) If pollution or natural resource management is part of the state standards of the group you are talking to, discuss how pollution on land can flow into rivers, and ultimately the ocean. Squirt food coloring, representing fertilizer, on the farm fields to show the students that groundwater can carry the fertilizer to rivers.

8) Place a flat piece of plastic next to the river to represent an impermeable parking lot. Squirt food coloring, representing oil and gas released from cars, on the plastic and ask students to observe what happens. Did more color go into the river from the ground water or the impermeable parking lot? Why do they think this happened? (Discuss the role of groundwater in filtering pollutants out of water)

9) Ask the students to come up with ways in which these pollution sources can be limited (for example, paving parking lots with permeable pavement). Also, discuss ways in which the students can help limit their contribution to pollution in their everyday lives.

10) As a conclusion to the activity, ask the students to raise their hands and answer some questions regarding watersheds and rivers. You should include questions about river behavior, vocabulary, pollution, ways that they can help limit pollution and their location within the CT River Watershed.

Assessment:

In the Post-Visit School Packet, teachers will be given a quick multiple-choice quiz to implement during class time.

The results of this quiz will be submitted to WoW Express personnel in order to evaluate student understanding.

Student work from the erosion prevention task will also be assessed for comprehension of the objectives described

above.

Stream Table Erosion Prevention

You have been asked by the town of Grantham to create a plan to perform erosion control

work along Sawyer Brook, which runs through the center of town. The select-board is looking

for your expertise to help prevent damage to existing roads, houses, and to the brook. They

also want your recommendations as to areas best suited for future development.

The select-board will choose the plan that provides the clearest explanations as to how each

method will best prevent erosion. As the select-board members are not experts on stream

dynamics or erosion control, they will be looking for the most complete diagrams,

explanations, and recommendations.

GVS

Your plan must include:

A plan for road access to GVS from Route 10

Ways to keep Sawyer Brook from damaging Route 10

A plan for road access to a new farm that will be built next year

Recommendations for the best location for the new farm that will be built next year

Areas that can be sold as building sites for new river view houses

A way to fix the crumbling supports of the foot bridge that leads to GVS

(Adapted by K. Gianini from J. Hewitt)

Stream Table Erosion Prevention

Name__________________________

Category 3 2 1 Comments Erosion Control

Methods

The plan addresses all 6 areas indicated by the Select-

board as needing attention.

The plan addresses 3-5

areas indicated by the Select-

board as needing attention.

The plan addresses less than 3 areas

indicated by the Select-board as

needing attention.

Diagrams Provided accurate, easy to follow diagrams

with labels.

Some parts of the diagram were easy to follow and

contained labels.

The diagrams were

incomplete, hard to follow, and missing labels.

Vocabulary 6 or more vocabulary

words relating to streams and

erosion are used accurately and appropriately.

3-5 vocabulary words relating to

streams and erosion are used accurately and appropriately.

Less than 3 vocabulary

words relating to streams and

erosion are used accurately and appropriately.

Elaboration It is clear what methods of

erosion control are being

recommended and why they are

suited to each area.

Some parts of the explanation

as to what methods of

erosion control are being

recommended, and why they are

suited to each area is clear.

Explanations of what methods of erosion control are not being

recommended, and why they are suited to each is

not clear.

Points Earned

Adapted by K. Gianini from J. Hewitt

Watershed and River Vocabulary:

Taken from WoW Express, Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge

Bank- The land alongside or sloping down to a river

Channel- An area that contains flowing water confined by banks

Condensation – physical change from the gas state to the liquid state

Cut bank- an eroded, concave, often very steep bank formed at a bend of a river or stream by the flow of water around the bend

Delta- sediment deposit where mouth of river meets ocean

Evaporation – physical change from liquid state to gas state

Flood plain – a strip of flat land bordering a stream or river that receives the overflow of flood waters

Groundwater- water that collects in an aquifer or cracks in underground rocks below the Earth’s surface

Headwaters- The place from which the water in a river or stream originates

Meanders- A winding curve or bend of a river

Mouth- The place where a river empties into another body of water

Non-point Source Pollution – comes from many different sources throughout the watershed area

Point Bar- A low, curved ridge of sand and gravel along the inside bend of a meandering stream. Point bars form through the slow accumulation of sediment deposited by the stream when its velocity drops along the inner bank.

Point Source Pollution – comes from known location and one person or group can be held responsible for its entry into the watershed

Precipitation – water in the atmosphere falling to Earth, including rain, snow, sleet or hail

Riparian Area

- The vegetated areas at the interface between land and a river or stream

Riverbed- A channel occupied, or formerly occupied, by a river

River Erosion- The gradual removal of rock material from river banks and river beds.

Runoff- water coming off the land into the rivers, streams and ponds. Often carries pollution and nutrients into the surface water

Surface Water- water visible on the Earth’s surface (lakes, streams, oceans, etc.)

Tributary- A river or stream that flows into another stream, river or lake

Water Cycle- continual path of water through time

Bank

Channel

Condensation

Cut bank

Delta

Evaporation

Flood plain

Groundwater

Headwaters

Meanders

Mouth

Point Source Pollution

Precipitation

Non-point Source Pollution

Point Bar

Riparian Area

Riverbed

River Erosion

Runoff

Surface Water

Tributary

Water Cycle

The land alongside or sloping down to a river

An area that contains flowing water confined by banks

physical change from the gas state to the liquid state

an eroded, concave, often very steep bank formed at a bend of a river or stream by the flow of water around the bend

sediment deposit where mouth of river meets ocean

physical change from liquid state to gas state

a strip of flat land bordering a stream or river that receives the overflow of flood waters

water that collects in an aquifer or cracks in underground rocks below the Earth’s surface

The place from which the water in a river or stream originates

A winding curve or bend of a river

The place where a river empties into another body of water

comes from many different sources throughout the watershed area

A low, curved ridge of sand and gravel along the inside bend of a meandering stream. Point bars form through the slow accumulation of sediment deposited by the stream when its velocity drops along the inner bank.

comes from known location and one person or group can be held responsible

for its entry into the watershed

water in the atmosphere falling to Earth, including rain, snow, sleet or hail

The vegetated areas at the interface between land and a river or stream

A channel occupied, or formerly occupied, by a river

The gradual removal of rock material from river banks and river beds.

water coming off the land into the rivers, streams and ponds. Often carries pollution and nutrients into the surface water

water visible on the Earth’s surface (lakes, streams, oceans, etc.)

A river or stream that flows into another stream, river or lake

continual path of water through time

Identifying Macro-invertebrates

Before the identification activities were completed, Jenna Guarino (content specialist) came

in to discuss with students the concepts of watersheds and using benthic macro-

invertebrates as indicators of water quality. She also showed them a Power point

presentation to illustrate the concepts that they were discussing. The identification and

water monitoring activities described below were created by Mrs. Guarino. The activity

sheets can be obtained by contacting her.

Activity One

Directions:

1. Spend a few minutes discussing the “background information” sheet on macro-

invertebrates. Begin by drawing three large circles on the board, each one standing for the

concept of the Mayfly, Stonefly, and Caddisfly taxonomic orders. Have students read the

characteristics common to each order. Then, inside of the large mayfly circle draw three

smaller circles, each one standing for the concept of flat headed mayfly, swimming

mayfly, and burrowing mayfly taxonomic families. Discuss the relationship between

orders and families, and have students read the characteristics common to each family of

mayfly.

2. Have the students use the “background information” sheet to complete the “Identifying

Macro-invertebrate Activity” sheet, parts one and two.

Activity Two

Have students work in pairs using a field guide for benthic macro-invertebrates to identify, label,

draw, and write the three most noticeable characteristics that were used to identify real

specimens. After they have identified every specimen, have them find a new partner to compare

their identification and explain their reasoning if their partner identified a specimen differently.

Understanding the Sensitivity Index

The activity sheets can be obtained by contacting Jenna Guarino.

Directions:

1. Distribute the “Color Profile” to help students understand the color coding system used to

identify organisms that are sensitive, moderately sensitive, or tolerant to pollution in

brook trout habitat.

2. Distribute the “Benthic Macro-invertebrate Color Sensitivity Index” and have the

students identify the BMIs. A good resource to use for this is, “A Volunteer Monitor’s

Field Guide to Aquatic Macroinvertebrates,” published by the Izaak Walton League of

America.

3. Divide the class into three groups, distribute one “Sensitivity Groups Field Sheet”, one

“Practice Stream” set of macro-invertebrate cards, and one “Water Quality Score Field

Sheet” to each group. Guide them through the process of drawing one card at a time,

identifying it on the “Sensitivity Groups Field Sheet”, writing down the total count

(found on the card), and circling the abundance code. Next, guide them on how to use the

data from the “Sensitivity Groups Field Sheet” to complete the “Water Quality Score

Field Sheet.” Repeat this procedure three times so that each group gets a chance to

practice with all three sets of “Practice Stream” cards. This will prepare them to find a

water quality score for a real stream after collecting real macroinvertebrates.

Field Work

Students will collect benthic macro-invertebrates to perform a water quality score, test dissolved

oxygen and ph, and assess the stream habitat to determine the quality of the release site.

Materials:

Kick nets

Waders

Buckets

Sensitivity Groups Field Sheet

Water Quality Score Field Sheet

A Volunteer Monitor’s Field Guide to Aquatic Macro-invertebrates (or another macro-

invertebrate field guide)

Clipboards

Pencils

Water proof mats (to place macro-invertebrates on for identification)

Dissolved oxygen test kit

Ph test kit

Procedure:

To ensure that all students are busy assessing the health of the release site at all times, they

should be divided into groups so that while one group is performing a BMI assessment,

another group is performing a chemical and habitat assessment. Each group should have

an opportunity to perform all three assessments.

1. Use the kick nets to collect BMIs down stream from where a helper carefully disturbs the

substrate.

2. When enough have been collected carefully place them in containers with stream water.

An adult should separate them into orders (mayfly, stonefly, caddisfly, etc.) Then

students can identify, count, and enter data on to the Sensitivity Groups Field Sheet.

3. Repeat step two until enough BMI’s have been collected and identified.

4. Have the groups use the data from their Sensitivity Groups Field Sheet to complete the

Water Quality Score Field Sheet.

5. Have adult helpers assist students in using the dissolved oxygen and ph test kits. Students

should record the results of these tests on the “General Information Session” sheet. This

is the chemical assessment that we will use to help us determine the health of our release

site. Then they should work with an adult by the edge of the brook to complete the

“Stream Habitat Assessment” sheet.

Presentation of Release Site Data

First, the students will meet with their field work group to organize and summarize the

biological (BMI), chemical, and physical data that they collected. The next task is to

independently write a five paragraph report of the data. Then they will create a Power

Point presentation of this data including photos that were taken during the field work.

1. The groups will work together to write a narrative summary that begins with a

general statement about the quality of the release site (biological or physical).

Then they will support that statement with specific data that they gathered. The

summary will conclude with a statement about whether or not they feel confident

about the suitability of this release site for our brook trout.

2. Next, they will decide which pictures to include with their summary. They will be

responsible for copying and pasting them into the document. (Photographs will be

downloaded for them to choose from beforehand.)

3. Each group’s summary will be pasted into one document that includes the

biological and physical summaries of our assessment. As a whole class we will

decide on a title and a picture for the opening page of the presentation. I will

choose a helper to complete the opening page.

4. Copies of the presentation will be printed for all of the students. One will also be

sent to Judy Tumosa of New Hampshire Fish and Game.

Water Quality Report Planner

Your name:________________________

Names of people in your group:________________________

Introduction including what you found out about Sawyer Brook, and why this is

important

Details_____________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Information from your General Information Session sheet including school

name, site name, community name, county name, river system name, date,

directions to site, weather, air temperature, water temperature.

Details:_____________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Information from your Stream Habitat Assessment sheet including all

information that you checked and the Stream Habitat Assessment Rating (total

score), dissolved oxygen, and pH.

Details:_____________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Information from both Benthic Macro-invertebrate Assessment sheets including

the numbers of every bug you found and the water quality score.

Details:_____________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Conclusion including a brief restatement of what your group discovered, and

why it is important.

Details:_____________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Student Directions for the Power Point Presentation

Now it’s time to present what you learned about Sawyer Brook to New Hampshire

Fish and Game. You will work with a group to write a summary of the data you

collected. Group 1 will summarize the macro-invertebrate data and group 2 will

summarize the stream habitat data. I will assign groups when we begin.

1. Begin with a general introduction that explains what you discovered. Does

your data show excellent, fair, or poor water/habitat quality? Remember, you

don’t need to include a lot of details here.

2. Continue with a body that describes your data in detail:

Group 1 You should include the name, abundance code, and sensitivity group

name and number of every macro-invertebrate you collected. The water

quality index value for all three groups and the total water quality score should

also be included.

Group 2 You need to include all of the information from the “general

information session” sheet. Next, you should summarize the features you

checked off on the “Stream Habitat Assessment” sheet. Use complete

sentences. You don’t need to include the points for each section, but you do

need to include the total score.

3. Finish your report with a conclusion that explains what the total score

means. Then state whether or not you feel comfortable releasing the trout at

our site.

4. Meet with the other group that summarized the same data that your group

did to share your summaries. Choose the best writing from each summary to

create a revised summary. This is the version that will be typed on Power

point.

5. Observe the pictures that were taken during our assessments. Copy and paste

the ones that show children completing the assessment that you described.

I will copy and paste the reports from both groups into one document that

includes the entire assessment.

Release Day

Our release site has been used many times for the Trout in the Classroom Program, so I will

assume that the water quality will be acceptable for releasing the trout when they are ready. My

students are all aware that when the fish begin to swim up to the surface of the tank, they are

hungry and ready for release. When a significant number of them have come to the surface in

search of food, I will gather the class with cups of tank water, scoop up a few of the fish for each

student, and we will walk down to the stream to see them off on their journey.

Water Testing Information and Procedures By Jenny Hewitt

Adapted by Kevin Gianini

Velocity – how fast an object is moving in a certain direction

Background: The water in stream and rivers is always moving, usually at

different speeds in different places. This movement is called a current.

Currents affect the plants and animals living in the water by shaping the

bottom, carrying food into the area, and carrying wastes away. The speed or

velocity of the current can determine what organisms will live in the water.

The velocity is determined by dropping an orange into the water and timing

how long it takes the orange to travel 50 feet. An orange is used because it

has the same density as water. This means it won’t sink and will travel at the

same velocity as the water.

Procedure:

1. Measure 50 feet using a tape measure.

2. Assign roles of starter, stopper, dropper, timer, and catcher.

3. Place an object, say a stick or a notebook, at the spot where you start

measuring, and at the spot where you stopped measuring.

4. The dropper drops the orange into the water upstream from the starter

and the start line.

5. The starter yells start when the orange crosses the start line. This is when

the timer starts the stopwatch or timer.

6. The stopper yells stop when the orange crosses the finish line. The timer

stops the stopwatch.

7. The catcher retrieves the orange only if he/she can safely do so. It’s okay

if you can’t reach it because it won’t harm the stream.

8. Everyone in the group record the time in seconds on the data sheets.

9. We will calculate the velocity back in the classroom.

10. Repeat the test in 1 more area.

Embeddedness – the amount of sediment around rocks

Background: When spaces between rocks on a streambed become filled

with sand and sediment, the streambed is degraded. Macro-invertebrates

can no longer hold onto the sides of the rocks or hide underneath them. If

there is a lot of sand and sediment, macro-invertebrates may get washed

downstream or buried. Fish, especially trout and salmon, lay their eggs in

gravel on the streambed and the eggs incubate (develop) there for about 6

months. If the gravel is embedded, the eggs will die from lack of oxygen

and/or get washed away because the eggs are not anchored on the

streambed. Embeddedness of 50% means that the rocks are buried about

halfway up in sediment. At 50% embedded, trout and salmon are usually

not able to spawn.

Procedure:

1. Place weighted ring into the water. The space within the ring is the

sample space.

2. Choose a common size rock from this space. Do not pick it up yet.

3. Measure the height of this rock without moving it from its spot.

Write down the height on your data sheet.

4. Use “your claw grip” to pick up the rock. Your fingertips should be at

the level of the rock that was embedded.

5. Measure and record how much of the rock was embedded in the

streambed.

6. Repeat steps 3, 4, and 5 nine times.

7. We will calculate the average in the classroom. If you have extra time,

please do this at the river.

Temperature and Depth

Background: In the northeastern United States, water that is too warm will not

support diverse animal life. Cold water can hold more dissolved oxygen than warm

water, and many of our aquatic plants and animals required high levels of

dissolved oxygen.

Thermal pollution exists when the water is heated above its normal temperature.

This can happen when we clear trees near stream banks because it eliminates

shade. Power plants and factories also contribute to thermal pollution when they

use cool water from streams, rivers, and lakes to cool machinery. This heated water

is then returned to the water body at a higher temperature. Thermal pollution also

occurs in urban and suburban areas where runoff from paved roads and parking

areas empties into storm drains. The rain water is heated by the hot black top and

when it enters water bodies it heats the water there.

Procedure:

We will record the temperature and depth of the water in three different locations,

taking note of the surroundings at each spot.

1. Use the meter stick to measure the depth in centimeters. Record it on your

data sheet.

2. Hold the thermometer near the bottom while you watch the mercury go

down. When it stops, record the temperature (on your data sheet) in

Fahrenheit and Celsius.

Turbidity – the cloudiness of the water

Background: Turbidity is a measure of water’s cloudiness. Cloudiness is caused

by particles suspended (floating) in water. The particles can come from soil

erosion, sewage, and other particles that are washed into the stream.

In deep water, turbidity is measured using a Secchi Disk. The disk is lowered until

the black and white markings can no longer be seen. In shallow water, a turbidity

tube is used.

Procedure:

Please note: The turbidity tube has a small hose at the bottom. This should be

pinched shut before proceeding.

1. Assign the rolls of 1 tube holder, 2 water pourers, and 1 water releaser.

2. The tube holder stands facing away from the sun so he/she casts a shadow

over the tube.

3. The water pourers collect water in a container and pour it into the tube until

the water level reaches 120 centimeters (cm).

4. The tube holder looks down the column of water in the tube at the small

Secchi Disk at the bottom.

a. If he/she can see the Secchi Disk clearly, then the turbidity reading is 120

cm.

b. If he/she cannot see the Secchi Disk clearly, the water releaser un-

pinches the hose at the bottom to slowly release water until the tube

holder can see the Secchi Disk clearly.

5. The group then records the level of the water in the tube in centimeters (cm)

on the data sheet.

Dissolved Oxygen – the amount of oxygen in the water

Background: Most animals need oxygen to survive. Humans and other land

animals get their oxygen from the air. Many aquatic animals, like fish, get their

oxygen from the water. Oxygen in water is called dissolved oxygen (DO). Many

aquatic animals get dissolved oxygen through gills in their bodies. Some aquatic

animals absorb dissolved oxygen directly through the surface of their bodies.

Other aquatic animals have lungs and must come to the water’s surface to take

oxygen from the air. Water that has high DO levels can support many different

kinds of aquatic animals. Water that has low dissolved oxygen levels can only

support a few kinds of aquatic animals.

Many things affect the amount of DO in water:

Temperature - Cold water can hold more DO than warm water. If cold water

warms up, it loses DO.

Velocity - Fast-flowing water mixes air (containing oxygen) into the water. If

water slows down, it loses DO.

Aquatic plants - Aquatic plants release oxygen into the water during

photosynthesis.

Pollution & dead plants - Aquatic bacteria that decompose pollution and dead

plants and animals cause DO to drop because they need lots of DO to do their

work.

Measuring Dissolved Oxygen

Dissolved oxygen is measured in parts per million (ppm). DO in water can range

from 0-18 ppm. The amount of DO that can be held by water at each temperature is

called the percent saturation of dissolved oxygen. Water is saturated with

dissolved oxygen when it is completely full.

Dissolved Oxygen Facts

Trout and salmon eggs require lots of DO to survive (95% saturation).

Saturation can be more than 100%. This is called super-saturation. It

happens in very fast-flowing water, where extra oxygen from the air is

mixed into the water.

DO levels in streams are don’t vary (go up and down) much. DO in lakes

and ponds do vary a lot.

Green plants produce oxygen when they photosynthesize during the day. At

night when these plants are at rest, DO levels drop a lot.

Some fish and other aquatic animals cannot handle big changes in DO

levels. They become very stressed, and some even die.

The Stonefly larva needs lots of

dissolved oxygen (DO) to survive.

The leech does not need a lot of DO to

survive.

Procedure:

1. Fill a small test tube to overflowing with water from the stream. Do not

shake it.

2. Add two dissolved oxygen test tablets to the test tube.

3. Cap the tube. Be sure no air bubbles are in the water.

4. Mix it by gently turning the test tube over and over until the tablets have

disintegrated completely (about 4 minutes).

5. Wait 5 minutes.

6. Compare the color of the sample to the dissolved oxygen color chart.

7. Record the results on your data sheet.

Aquatic Macro-invertebrates – aquatic animals without a

backbone that can be seen without a microscope

Background: Aquatic macro-invertebrate are the food source for some fish,

amphibians, and other macro-invertebrates. Some macro-invertebrates are

herbivores, some are carnivores, and others are omnivores. Many macro-

invertebrates are aquatic insects. In the water there are many young insects

called larvae and nymphs. Larvae change completely as they grow into

adults, and go through a resting stage called a pupa. Nymphs resemble their

parents and do not go through a resting stage.

Macro-invertebrates are indicators of water quality, which means that their

presence or absence can tell us about the quality of the water. Some, like

stoneflies and mayflies, are very sensitive to pollution. Therefore, they

indicate healthy water just be their presence. Other macro-invertebrates can

tolerate pollution-some even thrive in it. Some macro-invertebrates are in

between-they are somewhat tolerant of pollution.

Procedure:

1. Two students hold up a kick net in the water so that the bottom is on the

stream bed and the water is flowing through the net.

2. One or two other students get into the water upstream from the net and

gently shuffle their feet on the stream bed. This dislodges macro-

invertebrates from the bottom so that they flow into the net.

3. Empty the net into a tray of water.

4. Repeat steps 1 and 2 if you don’t get many macro-invertebrates.

5. Carefully sort macro-invertebrates into separate ice cube tray cubicles.

6. Use the macro-invertebrate identification guide and the 2-way insect

viewer to begin identifying them.

7. Back in the class room, you will identify the rest of your catch and

perform calculations to assign a score to it.

Stream Velocity

Distance (feet) Time (seconds) Velocity (feet

per second)

Distance ÷Time

Site 1

50

Site 2

50

Stream Embeddedness

Site

1

Site

2

Site

3

Site

4

Site

5

Site

6

Site

7

Site

8

Site

9

Site

10

Height

of

rock

(cm)

from

step 3

E

M

B

E

D

D

E

D

N

E

S

S

(cm)

From

step 5

Average Height of Rocks

(Add up the heights and divide by 10)

Average Embeddness of Rocks

(Add up the embeddedness and divide

by 10)

Temperature and Depth Depth Temperature

Site 1

Site 2

Site 3

Averages

Turbidity

_______________________ cm.

Dissolved Oxygen

___________________ppm (parts per Million)