Healthy Water, Healthy People

1
Healthy Water, Healthy People

• By
• Reed Benson
• John C. Bell
• Chris Bell
• Josh Zakar
• John G. Bell

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Turbidity Water Quality Tests of the Yakima
River By Chris Bell, John G. Bell, Reed Benson,
Josh Zakar, John C. Bell
Introduction Water quality tests consist of
several indicators, pH, dissolved oxygen, and
temperature to mention a few. These indicators
are dependent on each other. For example, if
water temperature goes up dissolved oxygen goes
down. Dissolved oxygen is a measurement of the
amount of oxygen available in the water for fish
and aquatic life to survive. This measurement is
typically affected by temperature, wastes that
use up oxygen to degrade, and excessive algae
activity. (1) The pH is a measurement of the
amount of Hydrogen ions in a solution. A positive
or acidic pH has an excessive amount of Hydrogen
ions. A slight variance in a water systems pH can
be devastating to aquatic life. Temperature is
the physical property of a system that underlies
the common notions of hot and cold. Temperature
arises from the random microscopic motions of the
atomic and subatomic constituents of matter. (2)
The temperature is related to the average energy
of these microscopic motions. It is a fundamental
parameter in thermodynamics. These water quality
indicators can be tested with simple chemical
tests in the laboratory or portable field
equipment like Verniers Datapro pack and water
quality probes. This proposal compares the
turbidity in the Yakima River to its pH,
dissolved oxygen, and temperature levels.
Turbidity is the measure of the amount of
particulates in a water column. The proposal
focus was on the connection between turbidity,
water temperature, dissolved oxygen, and pH. This
idea is important because these factors have a
direct affect on the aquatic life of a river
ecosystem. A study published by the USGS states
that temperature can affect the ability of water
to hold oxygen as well as the ability to support
organisms. (3) This statement is a driving
focus for this research.

• Methods
• First, put the equipment together in an area
  that will be safe (water resistant). Second,
  calibrate the equipment before entering the field
  test site.
• 2. Departure, take a GPS reading of the location
  that we depart from on the river bank, along with
  several pictures (optional).
• 3. Start floating, float the river until we reach
  our specific locations. Once we have reached our
  locations we will have one person hold onto the
  boat so it doesn't drift away. Have the other
  members of the boat take the water samples needed
  for our water quality tests. (pH, dissolved
  oxygen, temperature, turbidity, and depth of the
  turbidity)
• 4. Take water samples for classroom data
  collection 
• 5. Take a GPS reading 
• 6. Make observations of area
• 7. Take picture of area and samples (optional) 
• 8. Repeat steps 3 through 7 of this process above
  for each location rotating group member tasks
  (minimum of five locations)
• 9. Finish the trip with a final GPS reading and
  optional group picture
• 10. Data analysis in the classroom

Team members John G. Bell (left), Chris Bell
(middle), and Reed Benson (right) discussing the
location of where to take water samples.
Discussion Yakima River turbidity was directly
related to temperature, dissolved oxygen, and pH.
When water turbidity increased (visibility in the
water decreased) water temperature decreased.
This is significant because when the river slows
down the sediments that cause the rivers
turbidity to increase fall out of suspension.
This gives the river more time to increase its
temperature. The turbidity also affected the
dissolved oxygen of the river. When the turbidity
of the river decreased the dissolved oxygen
decreased. This is significant because it tells
us that when the river has high turbidity, we
should expect a higher water velocity. The river
is acting like a convection cell, turning and
mixing the water, thus adding more oxygen. When
the river has a low velocity the dissolved oxygen
lowers due to the decrease in mixing. Lastly,
turbidity has an affect on pH. As the turbidity
increases the pH increases. This is due to more
sediments in the water column allowing more
Hydrogen ions to picked up. The significance is,
when river turbidity and velocity are low, pH
drops, putting aquatic life in danger. The
controlled variables in this experiment were time
of day, equipment, common sample collector, depth
of samples, and the water source. The
uncontrolled variables were the air temperature,
water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, flow
rate, stream side vegetation, and the amount of
runoff in the river. To continue the research on
the Yakima River the velocity flow of the water
compared to all the other variables would need to
be tested. Due to the magnitude of this project
there needs to be a larger sample group of tests
taken over an extended period of time to help
strengthen the analysis of the experiment.
Quantitative Results
Question How does Yakima River turbidity affect
its pH, dissolved oxygen, and temperature?
Hypothesis Yakima River turbidity affects its
temperature, dissolved oxygen, and pH.
Research Prediction As Yakima River turbidity
increases, its water temperature will increase,
dissolved oxygen will decrease, and pH will
increase due to the erosion of alkaline materials
in the Columbia River watershed. As the Yakima
River turbidity decreases the water temperature
will decrease, the dissolved oxygen will
increase, and the pH will decrease.
Conclusion The hypothesis stating Yakima
River turbidity affects its temperature,
dissolved oxygen, and pH was correct. The results
were, the warmer the water temperature, the lower
the turbidity one-hundred percent of the time.
The result was opposite the prediction. The
dissolved oxygen increased as the turbidity
increased eighty percent of the time. This was
also the opposite of what was expected. The pH
was affected by the turbidity. Eighty percent of
the samples taken had a pH higher than the
turbidity. These results correlate with the
prediction. Further research analysis needs to be
done from a larger sampling group to help the
validity of the results.
Qualitative Results The map below shows the
collection sites for our water quality tests on
the Yakima River from Ringer Loop to Umtanum
Creek.
List of Materials 1. Secchi disc 2. Vernier pH
probe 3. Vernier dissolved oxygen probe 4.
Vernier temperature probe 5. Vernier Datapro
pack with TI-84 Plus Silver Edition
calculator 6. Water collection device  7. 5
Water collection bottles 8. 30 m tape
measure 9. GPS 10. Graph paper (for data
analysis sheets) 11. Pen (pencil can
smear)  12. Camera

• References
• River Water Quality. Schuylkill River
  Observatory. 2006, www.phillywater.org/Schuylkill/
  Main
• 2. Temperature Kroemer, Herbert Kittel,
  Charles (1980). Thermal Physics (2nd ed.). W. H.
  Freeman Company. www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temperatur
  e
• 3. Water Quality Correlation."  USGS. 
  Information on this page is from A Primer on
  Water Quality, by Swanson, H.A., and Baldwin,
  H.L., U.S. Geological Survey, 1965 ,
  www.usgs..\..\..\..\My Documents\My
  Pictures\yakima river trip\yakima river trip
  037.jpg.gov/science/science gt. 

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Research Parameters

• Research Question
• How do the Kettle and San Poil River systems
  turbidity affect temperature, dissolved oxygen,
  and pH?
• Hypothesis
• Kettle and San Poil River systems turbidity
  affects its temperature, dissolved oxygen, and
  pH.
• Prediction
• As the Kettle and San Poil Rivers turbidity
  increases, their water temperature will increase,
  dissolved oxygen will decrease, and pH will
  increase. As turbidity decreases, water
  temperature will decrease, dissolved oxygen will
  increase, and pH will decrease.

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District Context

• Location
• Small rural schools
• Convenient natural resources
• Isolated
• Students
• Real world applications
• Reduce learning apathy
• Hands-on discovery
• Knowledge ownership
• Board
• Vision oriented
• Policies
• Open-ended

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District Context (cont.)

• Teachers
• Integrated Curriculum
• Connections
• Engaging Lessons
• Time Saver
• Administration
• WASL Scores
• Funding
• Community Involvement
• Supportive

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Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats

• Strengths
• Internal Drive
• Technologically Savvy
• Small Rural School
• Small Class Size
• Close Knit Community
• Collaboration
• Weaknesses
• Inexperience
• Lack of Time
• Discomfort
• Lack of Resources
• Cross Discipline Knowledge
• Lack of communication

• Opportunities
• Internet
• Engaging Lesson Plans
• Close Proximity to Nature
• Reducing Student Apathy
• Community Engagement
• Common Collaboration Day
• Threats
• Lesson Intangibles
• Book Based Curriculum
• Unwillingness to Collaborate
• Project Completion
• Lesson Integration
• Disgruntled Parents

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Strengths and Opportunities

• Technologically proficient ? Use internet to
  better communicate and display ideas
• Small rural school ? Close proximity to nature
• Internal drive ? Engaging lesson plans
• Small class size ? Reduces student apathy
• Close knit community ? Community engagement
• Willingness to collaborate ? Common collaboration
  day

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Weaknesses and Opportunities

• Lack of communication outlets ? Community
  engagement ?Technologically proficient
• Lack of time ? Reduce student apathy ?
  Willingness to collaborate
• Inexperience ? Engaging lesson plans ? Internal
  drive
• Lack of resources ? Close proximity to nature ?
  Close knit community

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Strengths and Threats

• Willingness to collaborate ? Disgruntled parents
• Close knit community ? Project completion
• Technologically proficient ? Book based learning
• Small rural school ? Lesson integration

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Weaknesses and Threats

• Inexperience ? Lesson intangibles ? Internal
  drive
• Lack of communication outlets ? Disgruntled
  parents ? Technologically proficient
• Lack of time ? Project completion ? Willing to
  collaborate
• Lack of cross discipline knowledge ? Lesson
  integration ? Close knit community

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Action Plan Specifics

• Horizontal Alignment
• Smooth math and science integration
• One instructor teaching two or more subject areas
• Common preparation time
• Vertical Alignment
• K 12 School
• Professional Development Friday
• LID Day

• Administration
• Cost effective
• Aligned to the GLEs
• Inquiry based learning
• Students
• Hands-on discovery
• Outdoor experience
• Critical thinking

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Inquiry Unit Plan

• Curlew
• Vertically aligned lessons
• Fall/Spring
• Student taught
• Integrated
• Math, Science, English, Art
• Culminating Project
• Republic
• Junior High Lesson
• Integration
• High School Lesson
• Early Fall

• GLE Alignment
• Measurement (1.2.4)
• Graphing Number Sense (1.3.5)
• Data Analysis (1.1.7)
• Making judgments supported by valid conclusions
  (3.3.3)
• Application (3.1.2)
• Evaluating using data (2.1.3)
• Inferring using data (2.1.2)
• Quantifying observations (2.1.4)
• Analyzing (2.1.3)