Water Chemistry at Lake Georgette

Water Chemistry at Lake Georgette

Lake Georgette is one of several ponds found at Blandy. Lake Georgette is not an ordinary pond; this pond is dependent on the rain. In rainy seasons, the pond fills with water; during dry seasons the pond can disappear entirely. It is an important source of water for the animals that live at Blandy.

Lake Georgette lies between two possible building sites for the new educational center. At this station, you will investigate the overall health of the water in Lake Georgette, and learn about how the construction of a new building might affect the water supply

Water is essential to all living things, and therefore a healthy water supply is a must.

When you get to back to school you will need to decide:

What evidence from this station can you use to make a claim?

Should Lake Georgette be protected when constructing the new educational building?

What do you recommend to protect it?

Test / Healthy Range / Image of Healthy Range / My Results / Healthy?
(Yes or No)
Turbidity / ≤ 10
NTU / / 1. 21.4
2. 14.7
3. 18.1 / MEAN
18.0 / No
Temperature / 0ºC- 32ºC / / 1. 14.4
2. 14
3. -- / MEAN
14.2 / Yes
pH / 6.5-9.0 /
/ 1. 7.2
2. 7
3. 7.4 / MEAN
7.2 / Yes
Nitrates / ≤ 5 ppm / / 1. 1.9
2. 1.9
3. 3.5 / MEAN
2.4 / Yes
Phosphates / Very Little / / 1. 0
2.
3. / MEAN
0 / Yes
Dissolved Oxygen / ≥5mg/L / / 1. 10.6
2. / MEAN
10.6 / Yes

Water Chemistry Wrap-up Discussion

How can construction change the results? / How can you protect the water?
Turbidity / ●Can increase due to erosion.
●During construction, vegetation is cleared to create the construction zone. / ●Keep a vegetation zone between the construction site and L.G.
●Use fencing to contain the soil.
Temperature / ●Increases if turbidity increases because the darker soil particles trap sunlight / ●Reduce erosion as above.
Dissolved Oxygen / ●Decreases as temperature increases.
●Decreases if nitrates and/or phosphates increase. These two pollutants cause excess algal growth.
●An increase in turbidity will increase temperature and then D.O. decreases. / ●Reduce erosion.
●Do not use excess fertilizer around the new building. Excess nutrients will be washed into L.G. when it rains.
Nitrates / ●Increases when too much fertilizer is applied around the new building. / ●Avoid fertilizer. If you do fertilize, carefully calculate amount of fertilizer needed; don't fertilize right before a predicted heavy rain.
Phosphates / ●Increases when too much fertilizer is applied around the new building. / ●Avoid fertilizer. If you do fertilize, carefully calculate amount of fertilizer needed; don't fertilize right before a predicted heavy rain.
pH / ●Can increase (become more alkaline) during road or cement production if building materials are not covered.
●Can decrease (become more acidic) from pollution and chemicals. / ●Cover building materials.
●Do not use or reduce use of potential pollutants.