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TRANSCRIPT
Developing The Results Of A Water Quality
Testing Program Conducted By High School
Aquatic Science Students On the East and
West Branches Of The Brandywine Creek,
Pennsylvania.
PRESENTED BY:
DINA DISANTIS; Downingtown West High School
CHRIS VANDERGOES; Downingtown East High School
Downingtown Area School District, Chester County, Pennsylvania
Downingtown School District’s
Water Quality Testing Program
▶ For the past 18 years, the Downingtown Area School District has been offering
students the opportunity to learn how to assess water quality via stream
studies.
▶ Students from aquatic and environmental science classes have been
conducting stream studies along the Brandywine Creek in varying capacities.
▶ Test sites along the 3.5 mile stretch of Brandywine Creek is accessed by
canoe. The first trips consisted of six canoes carrying equipment and a dozen
participants.
▶ To meet current enrollment numbers, trips are now carried out over several
days; consist of 25+ canoes with at times over 50 participants.
Parameters Tested
▶ Physical
▶ Chemical
▶ Biological
Physical Parameters
▶Watershed dynamics
▶Stream order and morphometry
▶The changing nature of
water and topography over
the course of flow
▶Anthropogenic influence and
impacts
▶How to measure and evaluate
physical parameters
Physical Tests
Physical analysis of a stream is based on the measurements:
▶ Width and Depth (every meter)
▶ Velocity (four equal distances from nodes of w/5) ▶Volume of Flow/Discharge (calculated)
▶ Temperature (C)
▶ Turbidity (cm -> NTU)
Depth (m)
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S TU VWXY
A+B+C+D+E+F+G+H+I+J+K+L+M+N+O+P+Q+R+S+T+U+V+W+X+Y
25
Average
Depth =
Velocity (m/sec)
Velocity is a measure of how fast the stream water is moving
Determining width, depth, and velocity measurements
along Brandywine Creek, Chester County PA
Volume of Flow (Discharge)
Calculation:
▶ (width) x (average depth) x
(average velocity) x (bottom
constant*)
Bottom Constant accounts for substrate
friction=
▶ 0.8 if bottom is rough: rocks and
coarse gravel
▶ 0.9 if bottom is smooth: mud, sand, or
bedrock
▶ Smooth bottoms may indicate
pollution
Turbidity (water clarity)
▶ Assessed using a Turbidity Tube
▶ Unpolluted Streams: >53.4 cm
*Converting to NTU’s
Depth in cm = 244.13 X (Turbidity in NTU) -0.662
< 10 for Trout Streams
< 25 for Non-Trout Streams
Physical Testing
Turbidity measurements are
typically obtained from those
where velocity was measured
(w/5).
Chemical Testing
Chemical Testing Parameters
▶ Dissolved Oxygen - High O2 levels: 10 ppm (Ideal Trout); Low levels of O2: < 5 ppm is unhealthy
▶ Carbon Dioxide - Readings should be below 10 ppm. Levels over 35 ppm are considered limiting to most aquatic organisms (Inversely proportional to DO)
▶ Phosphates - Less than 0.1 ppm desirable. High readings indicate presence of pollutants such as fertilizer, sewage, detergents etc.
▶ Nitrates - Necessary in small amounts – should be less than 1 ppm. High readings indicate presence of pollutants such as fertilizer, sewage, detergents etc.
▶ pH - Range between 6.6 – 8.6 have little effect on life. Less than 5 (acidic) or over 9 (basic) will support little aquatic life
▶ Alkalinity - Acceptable range is between 30 - 90 ppm. Levels of 20 – 200 are common in natural water systems (Geology dependent)
Chemical Testing Kits
Issues with Chemical Testing
▶ Chemical testing kits are expensive and perishable
▶ Do you have enough for ALL students in the program?
▶ Are your supplies still “fresh” and viable?
▶ Enculturate students EARLY about safe handling and disposal methods
▶ Eyewear is essential (accidents do and have occurred)
▶ Chemical waste containers both in the laboratory and on the stream
▶ Train them to use waste containers in the laboratory; Students should
NOT be emptying test equipment into the stream or dumping onto
banks
Issues with Chemical Testing (cont’d)
▶ Be certain that chemical testing kits are age/group appropriate
▶ For what does your budget allow?
▶ Younger/less experienced groups may benefit from “TestTab” methods
▶ Don’t rely on student to “read and follow directions” on their own.
Experience has shown that proper modeling is vital for accurate results
▶ Afford time to appropriately train students for proper use.
▶ While titrations have been found to provide more accurate data, there is
also higher chance of student error- show them how it works
Biological Testing
▶ Good “snapshot” of water quality - May indicate if a problem exists and further data
collection and analysis are needed
▶ Live in aquatic ecosystem for over one year
▶ Cannot easily escape changes in water quality
▶ Can be collected very easily
▶Higher Biodiversity indicates better stream quality
▶ Pollution Sensitive Macros -> found only in good quality water
▶ Pollution Tolerant Macros -> found in good to poor water
▶Some students think that these are “only” found in poor water conditions
Biological Testing Issues
▶ Some students (and chaperones) may find macroinvertebrates “Icky and gross”
▶Most macroinvertebrates are harmless to collectors (Be aware of the
hellgrammite!!); It may not be possible to change someone’s irrational fear
▶ Ethically collect and host macroinvertebrates
▶Students may not treat organisms with care and respect: “Just bugs”
▶ Be certain you are following state collection guidelines
▶PA requires a fishing license and “collector’s permit” for the group leader
▶Licenses and permits must be renewed each year (PA)
Biotic Indices
Simple method uses 3 groups and
assigns points
Class 1 = 2 points
Class 2 = 1 point
Class 3 = 0 points
Add collective points for organisms
found in test area:
>10 = pollution free
6-10 = mostly clean stream
1- 6 = moderately polluted
0 = VERY polluted
Sources:
Bio-Assess, Auburn University Save Our Streams, Arlington, Virginia
Using the Citizens
Monitoring Method
▶ n of group 1 X 4 pts
▶ n of group 2 X 3
▶ n of group 3 X 2
▶ n of group 4 X 1
▶ Add collective points for organisms found in test area:
▶ Excellent -----3.6+
▶ Good ----------2.6 – 3.5
▶ Fair ------------2.1 – 2.5
▶ Poor ----------1.0 – 2.0
Test Watershed
Our typical Route of Study:
West Branch Brandywine Creek; West Chester, Pennsylvania; 3.5 miles
Brandywine Confluence:
West Branch X East Branch
Total Trip Time (Door to door) is approximately 7 hours
Sites 1-6 takes three hours*
Site 7 is our lunch area (lunch first then testing)
Continue to Brandywine Picnic Park for bus pick up by Northbrook Canoe Company
(Start)
(End)
Historical Data (Student Collected)
▶ Data highlighted in yellow indicates values outside of acceptable
range; student error, anomalous readings, etc.
▶ Errors in data do provide a good opportunity for students to
hypothesize errors and how improved collection could occur in
future studies
▶ Not all years are represented; some sites omitted, data was lost, etc.
▶ Chemical and biological data are presented
▶ Although physical data is also collected, only discharge estimates
are included in this presentation
▶ Please note that test parameters may vary based on equipment,
timeframe and safety issues
Please note that discharge in cubic meters/second (cms) is calculated from the measurement of physical testing parameters
(width, depth, average velocity, and estimation of appropriate bottom constant due to substrate friction)
In 2011 we switched from using the HACH kits to the LeMotte kits and found that our students had
improved accuracy with their chemical results.
The Broad Run Stream is a tributary of the Brandywine’s West Branch and is measured to provide additional data for the analysis of upstream
vs downstream testing parameters
Most Common Macroinvertebrates
Collected Over the Years
➢Group 3
➢Amphipod
➢Gilled Snail
➢Midge Larva
➢Group 4
➢ Isopod
➢Pouch Snail
➢Leech
➢Group 1 ➢ Stonefly
➢ Dobsonfly Larva
➢ Alderfly Larva
➢Group 2 ➢Caddisfly Larva
➢ Dragonfly Larva
➢Water Penny
➢ Damselfly Larva
➢ Freshwater Mussel
➢Crawfish
➢ Riffle Beetle
What the data shows
▶ Remember: This is (high school aged) student derived data
▶ Values align with 1987 Knorr and Fairchild published study; Proceedings of Academy
of Natural Sciences
▶ Physical Parameters follow discharge trends; as discussed in class.
▶ Nitrates and Phosphates are historically high (Agriculture; Suburban Sprawl; Upstream
Wastewater Treatment Facilities); But still in range of aforementioned published study.
▶ Macroinvertebrate assessment demonstrates similar findings over time and aligns with
published results of professional studies
▶ The Brandywine watershed has shown to be a lotic system in good health, despite
proximity to high density and productivity centers of Coatesville, Downigntown, West
Chester and Upper Chadds Ford.
▶ It may be beneficial to have other neighboring districts collect and publish data to
continue stream monitoring health and help develop the whole picture for Brandywine
Watershed
Putting it all together: The Summative
Assessment
▶ Various methods of Summative Assessment (The final project)
▶ Individual vs Team Assessments
▶ Quiz-Test vs. Report vs. Presentation of Results vs. combo
▶ Data to the community
▶ Of Concern
▶ Time of year
▶ Beginning of the school year; Fall trip- snapshot of curriculum
▶ End of the school year; Spring trip- longer duration cumulative project
▶ Missed Time and Seniors??
Behind the Scenes
▶District policies, off-campus culture and transportation needs
▶ Student willingness and time of year (Experiences between fall and spring)
▶Permission from and gratitude for private landowners (boundaries may vary)
▶ What if I don’t have a stream in which to practice??
▶Alternative methods to streamside measuring can be done inside and
outside on campus
▶(Blue) String is often used to simulate stream sections
▶Tape a stream section on your wall (use brown for substrate)
▶Utilize drainage ravines and ditches on campus; curbs, hills and
bleachers can also work
▶USGS real-time hydrological data can be remotely monitored
Behind the Scenes
▶ Accuracy in Testing (Training and Motivation)
▶ Goal driven: experience for experience sake? Accuracy and precision of
measurement? Serious students or taking for fun?
▶ Everyone in class practices all parameter measurements
▶If short time period in the field: specialists become quicker, more precise, and
more consistent in data collection
▶If longer time period/recurrence in the field: rotate positions; they should get it
with time
▶ Practice vs Game Day; Everyone should be able to equally experience each
method of collection; If data matters* field your “best team” during the main field
study
Behind the Scenes
▶ Do we need canoes?
▶ No (but it is a fun and memorable experience for your students)
▶ Testing during various times during the year provides more data and
reinforces tactile skills needed to conduct field studies; Increases time, supply,
and monetary considerations
▶Safety and Weather:
▶Clothing and equipment seminar during class
▶ Time of year (Be sure to consider air and water temperature)
▶River stage and recent precipitation events
▶Chaperones and keeping a watchful eye on student safety (and behavior)
Thank you
Developing The Results Of A Water Quality Testing Program Conducted By High
School Aquatic Science Students On the East and West Branches Of The
Brandywine Creek, Pennsylvania
January, 2017
Mr. Christopher Vandergoes
Downingown EAST HS
Ms. Dina DiSantis
Downingtown WEST HS