by mary carson, valerie du, and abigail jewell ywsi 2009 what is causing the upper hocking river...
TRANSCRIPT
By Mary Carson, Valerie Du, and Abigail Jewell
YWSI 2009
What is causing the Upper Hocking River watershed to
be polluted?
The Upper Hocking River Watershed
The River’s Impairments The Upper Hocking River suffers
from:A low pH levelOils and grease within the
waterToo many nutrients, especially
phosphate and nitrogenSiltationMetals dissolved within the
waterMany parts of the river are
channelized
County InformationFairfield, Perry, and
Hocking counties.Forests and agricultural
areas.1197 square milesThe Hocking River goes through 7 countiesLancaster is the fastest growing region of our
watershed
Mary’s HypothesisAs the amount of Nitrogen increases,
the diversity of the fish population decreases
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AvIBITotal Nitrogen
Index o
f B
ioti
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gri
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Maxim
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rogen
L
evels
Impacts of NitrogenOn Fish
As the total nitrogen levels increased the fish population decreased.
Increased Nitrogen levels often cause disease in fish.
It also suppresses oxygen levels
When water high in Nitrogen is consumed, the Nitrogen takes the place of oxygen in the blood stream
High levels of Nitrogen in drinking water are especially harmful to newborn infants.
On Humans
Valerie’s Hypothesis100
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Diversity of Fish vs. pH Levels
AvIBIAv_pH
Ind
ex
of
Bio
tic I
nte
gri
ty
pH
Leve
ls
When the measure of pH in the water becomes more acidic, the diversity of fish, also known as IBI,
decreases.
AnalysisMy hypothesis was well supported by the
data.
Abby’s Hypothesis: As Agriculture Development Increases, Phosphate
Levels Also Increase.
0.00 0.10 0.20 0.30 0.40 0.50 0.60 0.700.0%
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f(x) = 0.819320079682292 x + 0.304967859288318R² = 0.328326424218583
Agricultural Development vs. Phosphate Levels
Maximum Phosphate Level
% o
f A
gri
cu
ltu
ral
Deve
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men
t
Analysis Agricultural development
increased, the phosphate levels rose.
Algae grows very quickly and dies after a short period.
Algae decomposes very slowly.
Decomposing algae requires a lot of oxygen.
High levels of nutrients such as phosphate indirectly hurt the fish population
ConclusionsWe conclude that high Nitrogen, Phosphate,
and acidic pH levels are all causes of pollution in the Upper Hocking River.
Other causes of pollution that were less prominent : coal mining, siltation, grease, oil, and other habitat alterations.
Improving Our Watershed•The Friends of the Hocking River and The Hocking River Commission are the two main organizations that preserve the environment around the Upper Hocking River.•The Hocking River Commission reduce runoff by adding more easements surrounding the river.•They are having informing public meetings
Group Members: Abby, Mary, Valerie & Roberta
Group 3
Special Thanks to…
Katie Hossler, Paula Williams, Steve Gordon, Shannon Schraegle, and Leslie Southern