Water Qualitys

Color
Most of the color in water you see around you comes from suspended

material. If an industry wanted/needed some color-free water for an

industrial process, they would probably rather start with the sediment-laden

water, rather than the tannin colored water.

Dissolved Oxygen
Although water molecules contain an oxygen atom, this oxygen is not what is
needed by aquatic organisms living in natural waters. A small amount of
oxygen, up to about ten molecules of oxygen per million of water, is actually
dissolved in water. Oxygen enters a stream mainly from the atmosphere
and, in areas where ground-water discharge into streams is a large portion
of streamflow, from groundwater discharge. This dissolved oxygen is
breathed by fish and zooplankton and is needed by them to survive

pH
pH is a measure of how acidic/basic water is. The range goes from 0 - 14,
with 7 being neutral. pHs of less than 7 indicate acidity, whereas a pH of
greater than 7 indicates a base. pH is really a measure of the relative amount
of free hydrogen and hydroxyl ions in the water. Water that has more free
hydrogen ions is acidic, whereas water that has more free hydroxyl ions is
basic.

Turbidity
Turbidity makes water cloudy or
opaque. During periods of low flow
(base flow), many rivers are a
clear green color, and turbidities
are low, usually less than 10 NTU. High concentrations of particulate matter affect light penetration and
productivity, recreational values, and habitat quality, and cause lakes to fill in
faster.

Sediment and Suspended Sediment
On the positive

side, sediment deposited on the

banks and flood plains of a river

is often mineral-rich and makes excellent farmland. On the negative side, when rivers

flood, they leave behind many tons of wet, sticky, heavy, and smelly mud

Sediment and Suspended Sediment
On the positive
side, sediment deposited on the
banks and flood plains of a river
is often mineral-rich and makes excellent farmland. On the negative side, when rivers
flood, they leave behind many tons of wet, sticky, heavy, and smelly mud

Hardness

• The amount of dissolved calcium and magnesium in water determines its "hardness."

Temperature
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been measuring how much water is flowing in

rivers, determining the water levels in groundwater, and collecting water samples to

describe what the quality of those waters are for over a century. Temperature exerts a major

influence on biological activity

and growth. Temperature

governs the kinds of organisms

that can live in rivers and lakes. Temperature is also important in lakes and reservoirs. It is related to the dissolvedoxygen

concentration in water, which is very important to all aquatic life.

Temperature
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been measuring how much water is flowing in
rivers, determining the water levels in groundwater, and collecting water samples to
describe what the quality of those waters are for over a century. Temperature exerts a major
influence on biological activity
and growth. Temperature
governs the kinds of organisms
that can live in rivers and lakes. Temperature is also important in lakes and reservoirs. It is related to the dissolvedoxygen
concentration in water, which is very important to all aquatic life.

Sources

• aliciachappell.weebly.com
• Google