Murray State University
Environmental Monitoring of Bee Creek and Clarks River, Kentucky
Institution
Murray State University
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
Bommanna Loganathan
Abstract
Rivers and streams provide drinking water, attenuate flood waters, assist in maintaining biodiversity and offer recreational opportunities to our society. Water quality monitoring is essential in maintaining these resources. Western Kentucky has abundant water resources supporting a variety of ecosystems. These aquatic environments are impacted by multiple stressors associated with human activities. Several streams and rivers in this region are not thoroughly monitored. This poster presents monitoring data of conventional parameters measured in selected locations in Bee Creek and Clarks River. Four sampling locations including upstream Clarks River (F-91), downstream Clarks River (F-29), upstream Bee Creek (F-256) and downstream Bee Creek (F-255) were identified and monitored. Approved protocols were used to measure temperature (°C), dissolved oxygen (ppm), pH, conductivity (μS), total dissolved solids (mg/L), water flow measurements (m3/s), soluble reactive phosphate (ppm) etc. The results revealed that (i) in general conductivity of down stream Bee Creek waters was higher than Clarks River sites. (ii) Conductivity of down stream of Bee Creek waters exhibited approximately three times higher than that of upstream Bee Creek waters, suggesting possible inorganic ions are input from a wastewater treatment plant, (iii) concentrations of soluble reactive phosphate varied with locations and dates of sampling, (iv) No abnormal levels of dissolved oxygen or pH were observed. This study was conducted at these sites in the fall 2009 as part of a service learning component for a course in analytical chemistry at Murray State University.
Environmental Monitoring of Bee Creek and Clarks River, Kentucky
Rivers and streams provide drinking water, attenuate flood waters, assist in maintaining biodiversity and offer recreational opportunities to our society. Water quality monitoring is essential in maintaining these resources. Western Kentucky has abundant water resources supporting a variety of ecosystems. These aquatic environments are impacted by multiple stressors associated with human activities. Several streams and rivers in this region are not thoroughly monitored. This poster presents monitoring data of conventional parameters measured in selected locations in Bee Creek and Clarks River. Four sampling locations including upstream Clarks River (F-91), downstream Clarks River (F-29), upstream Bee Creek (F-256) and downstream Bee Creek (F-255) were identified and monitored. Approved protocols were used to measure temperature (°C), dissolved oxygen (ppm), pH, conductivity (μS), total dissolved solids (mg/L), water flow measurements (m3/s), soluble reactive phosphate (ppm) etc. The results revealed that (i) in general conductivity of down stream Bee Creek waters was higher than Clarks River sites. (ii) Conductivity of down stream of Bee Creek waters exhibited approximately three times higher than that of upstream Bee Creek waters, suggesting possible inorganic ions are input from a wastewater treatment plant, (iii) concentrations of soluble reactive phosphate varied with locations and dates of sampling, (iv) No abnormal levels of dissolved oxygen or pH were observed. This study was conducted at these sites in the fall 2009 as part of a service learning component for a course in analytical chemistry at Murray State University.