1. Water quality

2. Do you live in a watershed?
Yes you do!!
You live in the Upper Yadkin watershed.
All the creeks and streams flow into the Yadkin River!
We can monitor water quality in our watershed to make sure our drinking water is safe.

3. How can we measure water quality?
We can measure: chemical properties, physical properties, and biological properties

4. Chemical properties
pH-measures acidity; the more acidic the water the more deadly to fish and other organisms
Dissolved oxygen-oxygen is essential for the survival of fish; the less oxygen, the less aquatic organisms
Toxic substances-mercury is deadly if ingested in large quantities; people are warned to not eat fish from a lake with high levels of mercury
Nutrients-high levels of nitrogen (from fertilizers) deplete oxygen levels

5. Physical properties
Turbidity: how clear the water is; if the water is murky, filled with sediments, it has high turbidity. If it is clear, it has low turbidity
Temperature-higher the temperature, the less oxygen
Color
Taste
odor

6. Biological properties
Look at macroinvertebrates as indicators
Certain organisms have low tolerance for pollution. If they are found, it means the water is clean
Certain organisms have a high tolerance for pollution.

7. What can happen if we drink contaminated water?
Animals and humans can get very sick-vary from acute complications such as coughing, throat irritation, vomiting to major complications such as cancer, disorders of the nervous system, kidney damage

8. 1974 Safe Drinking Water Act
Mandates that the water that comes from your faucets has minimal pollutants in it. The government has set maximum standards for pollutants such as mercury, VOC’s, radiation, and pathogens

9. Can we see all pollutants in water? Why or why not?
Which group of people are most susceptible to getting sick from water pollution? Why?

10. Read pages ES 18 and ES19 What are wetlands?
Why are they important? Name three reasons why they are important?
Why have the amount of wetlands in North Carolina been decreasing?
Where are North Carolina’s wetlands located?