TEST MEASURES
PARAMETER: Dissolved O2 O.K. RANGE: 5 - 9 PARAMETER: pH O.K. RANGE: 6.5 - 8.2 PARAMETER: Alkalinity O.K. RANGE: 20+ PARAMETER: Hardness O.K. RANGE: 10 - 120 |
HOBO trains volunteers to periodically test the quality of the water in the lake at several locations for certain parameters.
Dissolved oxygen (DO) is one of the most important parameters measured by monitors. All fish and most other aquatic creatures depend upon oxygen from the water. Oxygen dissolves better in cold water, so its concentration tends to be higher in winter and lower in summer. Therefore, water temperature and DO have inverse seasonal cycles. An oxygen level of at least 5 parts per million (ppm) is required for streams that are classified as “Fish and Wildlife.” Levels below 5 ppm often stress fish and may result in fish kills and reduced aquatic biodiversity. Water clarity is one measure of lake health. Pollution such as eroded soil reduces clarity and turns the water brown. This, in turn, reduces light penetration into the water and can upset the natural aquatic food cycles. Excess nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorous) caused by such things as faulty septic systems and runoff of lawn fertilizers or animal wastes reduce water clarity by stimulating algal blooms which turn the water green. A simple device called a Secchi disk, used by LMHOBO to measure water clarity, provides valuable data for lake management. Become a Water Monitor
If you would like to be trained as a water monitor, contact Jim Woodrow at [email protected] Some of the many advantages of local, citizen-based water monitoring are:
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Lake Mitchell HOBO, P.O. Box 1324, Clanton, AL 35046
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