Water Quality 

The past few days in science class we have been going out to the river and pond to test the different water quality and what invertebrates live in the water. We had to get into groups of three and one person had to go into the water and wear hip waders and a life jacket. We had to test the temperature of the water in 3 different places and then we took test stripes to test the air temperature, water temperature, pH, nitrate, hardness, carbonate. We found some different types of bugs that were not necessarily identified, and we found some fish and worms. Those were the most common things that we found. We had nets with us so we could catch more things and get into the water, we also had a bucket to put all our findings in. We had this clear tube where we would dip in the strip testers and see what kind we found compering the colors.

Coquitlam River test: 

The Air temperature was an average of 14 degrees, the water temperature was an average of 11 degrees, the pH was an average of 7 degrees, the nitrate was an average of 0 degrees, the nitrate was an average of 0.5, the hardness was an average of 30 and the carbonate was an average of 10. 

The air temperature wasn’t warm it was more to the cool side, but it was colder then warm. The water temperature was 11 degrees, so it falls under the category of cool, but it was about to be cold by one degree, so the water was chillier. That means the fish life in that water is minimum and there is a moderate risk for fish disease. In this water there is trout, salmon, sculpins, stoneflies, mayflies, caddisflies, water beetles and water striders. The pH was 7 so it would fall under the category of pure water. Nitrates and nitrogen in the water together, they are generally formed of a bacteria on ammonia.  

Oxbow pond test: 

Air temperature was an average of 15 degrees, water temperature was an average of 11 degrees, pH was an average of 7, nitrate was an average of 20, nitrite was an average of 0.5, hardness was an average of 30 and carbon was an average of 30.  

I found a lot of similarity between the pond and the river. 

The air temperature was more to the cool side and it was a good temperature. The water temperature was an average of 11 degrees, so it was also more to the cool side. The pH was the same as the water quality, nitrate and nitrate were very different from what I found in the other one which means it was way colder water weather. 

I found in compering that they were both similar weather and it was mostly the same but there was more water in the pond than the river. I also found that the water in the pond was deeper but the water in the river moved faster.  

This was a fun project I think what I could have done better is looking for more bugs.  

This was a fun couple of weeks. I really enjoined to go into the water and look for invertebrates and getting to test the water temperature ect. Going outside made it so much fun to talk to new people it made me look forward to science class.