Canyon Lake : A Popular Place Of Recreation For The Citizens Of Rapid City

Introduction: The purpose of this research is to determine whether there has been a change in the overall water quality of the Lake Tarpon Basin, and if so, whether the quality has improved or worsened. The variables that will determine whether the quality has changed are: nutrients (phosphates and nitrates) and dissolved oxygen (DO). The expected changes are lower dissolved oxygen levels (from the already low levels), higher nitrogen levels (from the already high nitrogen levels), and the state qualifications still are not met for nutrients and dissolved oxygen (Levy, Flock, Burnes, Myers, Weed, River 2010). This topic relates to environmental management because the changes in water quality would be due to pollution, which relates to the question “How does human activity lead to the pollution of water stores?” The hypothesis that will be tested is that Lake Tarpon’s water quality will have worsened since the last measurements by Levy, Flock, Burnes, Myers, Weed, and Rivera in 2010.

: Larchwood Lake may not ever be the same again. The story about Larchwood Lake is not that uncommon. Without doing extensive research into possible things that could occur by lowering the lake level, the Larchwood Lake Homeowner’s Association destroyed the very thing they were trying to protect. Carelessness and poor planning are not the only root causes however. There are a number of reasons that led to the degradation of Larchwood Lake that happen to relate to more macro level environmental issues. Those reasons are poorly designed environmental policy created by the E.P.A., poor understanding of lake ecology by the managers of the land, and false confidence in poorly planned ideas. By looking at how these factors contributed to the degradation of the lake, hopefully we will be able to make more ecological sound decisions in the future.

“The pH of a solution is a measure of the molar concentration of hydrogen ions in the solution and as such is a measure of the acidity or basicity (sic) of the solution. The letters pH stand for power of hydrogen and the numerical value defined as the negative base 10 logarithm of the molar concentration of hydrogen ions.” (PH, 2002). The pH scale is from 0 to 14. When the pH is higher, the hydrogen ions are fewer and the substance considered alkaline. This means when a pH unit increases by one, there is a tenfold change in the hydrogen ion. For example, if a substance has a 7 pH, it has 10 times as many as hydrogen ions available as 8 pH. A lake having a water pH between 6.5 and 8.5 is considered to be neutral. Researchers tested Peckham Park lake water monthly from August 2015 to April 2016 for water pH levels. A water quality PH test strip taken from a jar and dipped into the lake. After a few minutes, the strip will turn a color and this color determines the pH. The jar the strips came in has a chart of the colors on the back which compared to the color on the strip. The lake tested monthly using the PH test strips, which show the pH level, hardness, toxic, etc. using color-change

Lake Travis has a little of something for every angler. Winter offers the challenge of hooking white and striped bass before they run up the creeks and rivers during the spring. Spring and fall bring in many largemouth bass fisherman. While they may not run big, fishing for largemouth bass is still a fun experience. With pockets of deep water and lots of places for a fish to hide, the catfish in the lake are plentiful and can run to be very big.

On October 6th 2015, the students of Mattawan’s AP Environmental class took a trip to the local stream of the Mattawan Consolidated Schools area. The purpose of this trip was to conduct a stream study to determine the health, conditions, and pollution levels of this small body of water. A multitude of factors came into play when making a judgement on the stream’s health, and making sure to take all of these essential points was crucial to the study. A variety of thorough experiments were conducted to help make this overlying conclusion, as many students adopted many roles in the study. Students used a physical survey form, water test data sheet, and taxa recording sheet to record their findings. Teamwork was essential in making sure all of this information could be found accurately and efficiently. The combination of all of the final results allowed the class to make a judgement of the stream’s state.

The first tests were to determine the chemical composition of the creek. Two types of pollution problems were being tested. One is called eutrophication and is when the creek or any body of water has too many nutrients in the water. It is bad for the creek. The other type is acid rain, which is when the burning of fossil fuels causes rain that is acidic. That rain subsequently drains into the creek. We performed a phosphate test, which uses scientific tools to measure the level of phosphate in the water. A similar test we executed was a nitrate test. A healthy result on both of those tests would have been a low number. Additionally, we tested the creek for dissolved oxygen, which should have been a higher number rather than a low number. The creek was also tested using a pH scale, where the numbers range from zero to fourteen, seven being the best. Lastly, we tested the rocks found in the creek to see if they would work to neutralize acid. We did this by putting acid on the rocks and observing if they bubbled and sizzled or not. The next experiment was to find organisms in the creek. We found a variety of macroinvertebrates and classified them

Imagine an Earth devoid of clean rivers with no inland marine life or readily available freshwater. This situation may arise if humanity does not volunteer to end its polluting tendencies. Initially, each individual should focus on taking steps towards decontaminating his or her nearest water body. For those living in Delaware, this is the Delaware River, which is in need of drastic reform. “The Delaware River . . . is the fifth most-polluted river in the country, according to a report released . . . by Environment New Jersey” (Augenstein). However, this obstacle did not arise spontaneously. A recognized problem by the early eighteenth century, Delaware River pollution remained a serious issue for the next 300 years and mostly stemmed from rapid population growth and booming industrial activities (“Delaware River Water Quality”). As the years progressed, Delawareans continuously disregarded the Delaware River, and it is now immensely besmirched as a result of accumulating neglect for the river. Because of this, Delaware waters continued to befoul past the threshold of safety. Delaware waterways are currently unsafe for commercial use due to the presence of pollutants and parasites like Giardia and Cryptosporidium in the river that can cause significant health problems, especially in individuals with weakened immune systems (“Delaware”). The polluted Delaware River, sullied by companies despite the Clean Water Act, may cause a decline in Delaware’s’ marine life, human

In Mount Judea, Arkansas, there lies a hog farm very close to the historic Buffalo River, known for its natural beauty and amazing sightseeing. On the contrast, immense amounts of green algae have been found in its water in the past few years. As a result, suspicions have been expected with the possibility of the hog manure ponds leaking into the Buffalo River. This is an enormous environmental problem, as endangering a natural, free-flowing river is constrained in any aspect. The Big Creek Research and Extension Team (BCRET) from the University of Arkansas have recently drilled deep into these manure ponds in search of a leak and have accomplished their goal. (TFW). Around 120 feet below, there lies a wet place of soil that could possibility be the cause of green algae found in the nearby river. Individuals notice how big of a problem this can become. Three women, in fact, have appealed to constrain the amount of manure spread in the nearby fields surrounding the Buffalo River. (TFW). People love to see natural beauty, which is what the Buffalo River provides. Instead, they have to burden with the fact of green algae. Green algae can affect a body of water in many ways, including the contamination of turning these

Our study determined how detrimental pet activity is on the environment, more specifically the water systems at Bulls Creek, Wild Basin, and McKinney Falls. My hypothesis was the if there is human and pet activity near water ways, there will be an increase in algae boom and chlorophyll a concentration because bacteria body material, and feces of the dog affects the water’s health. Our results did not agree with our hypothesis because Chlorophyll a concentration was higher at McKinney Falls, where there was the most pet activity, and lower at Bulls Creek, even though pets were allowed also. Additionally, the Wild Basin, where there were no pets allowed, had samples with an unexpectedly high chlorophyll a concentration compared to the samples from Bulls Creek. Other factors including canopy cover, and urban runoff could have also altered water quality.

Balancing the vital need for water and related resources with an obligation to protect environmental and ecological health poses an increasingly complex challenge. The Bureau of Reclamation manages CRSP and other Colorado River projects to develop and protect water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner for the American public. It works actively with federal, tribal, state, local and non-governmental partners to adaptively manage the river system with an eye toward greater societal awareness and the importance of healthy ecosystems – particularly downstream of the dam through Glen and Grand

Cedar Lake has been known for years to be a swamp of pestilence that many are afraid to touch, and for good reason. The Factories that surround the lake used to dispose of their waste directly into the water. Most of the chemicals are no longer in the water system, and the water quality is now good enough to harvest fish from the lake. The problems faced now are sedimentation that has made the lake shallow, and people’s perception of the lake. The Iowa DNR working alongside the Friends of Cedar Lake have a plan to deal with those issues, and make the lake a healthy center of outdoor recreation for the city. Restoring, and improving the lake will give the people what they need.

The chemicals found in water can be dangerous toward our health. We live near the Great Lakes which supplies 20% of the World’s fresh water. It also has chemicals that threaten the life evolving around the fresh water. There are medical drugs that are being introduced to the fresh water lakes. Stuff like antibiotics and steroids. These pharmaceuticals are posing danger for the environment. This could affect the lake life,s growth.

Qualitative Observations: Comparatively Cedar Creek had much more trash than James A. Reed, so because there was more trash at Cedar Creek we can assume that is why the water quality was poorer than James A. Reed water quality. Arriving at the site we first went right towards where most of the other groups were heading. The first site we tested were clear shallow riffles. We did rock kicking and and and did little to rub the rocks. It was surprising how much black fly larvae we found compared to the other organisms. The second was harder to find because most over the overhanging sites because lots of the areas were much deeper so we were not able to test the areas, but we eventually found an area that we were able to get a sample from. The

Often, toxic substances are being drained into the air, waterways, and undergrounds wells. According to the report by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), over 60 million pounds of deadly chemicals are produced by industries in Florida. Notably, Florida’s water has been suffering mercury contamination until the state’s department of migration issues a circular regularly for regulations of eating freshwater fish in the region (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission). In fact, such metals emanate from coal combustion’s emissions which run into water bodies. Not to mention, pesticides and herbicides utilized by government and homeowners pollute the environment (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission). Indeed, all chemicals released into the atmosphere find themselves in rivers.

After hiking we went to a lake/pond area where we ate supper, paddle boarded, and kayaked. The supper was made by people who are known for their food. An example is homemade french fries, smoke pulled pork, and many fruit crisp. The next thing that was to end the night was a prayer walk and praise and worship time by the lake/pond.