Time: 2:45 p.m. Location: Tygart's Creek in Greenup County Flow: Normal Weather: 22.2 C, fair skies!
The Russell High School Water Watch Team for the month of October consisted of 9th graders: Elizabeth Elliott, Andrea Warren and Nick Wheeler. This team used the LaMotte Water Quality Farmland Test Kit for water temp, pH, Dissolved Oxygen, Iron, Nitrates, and Chl orides.
A team of students in 11/12th grades used the TI-82/CBL system to collect data for Dissolved Oxygen, Barometric Pressure, Water Temp. and Conductivity.
Site 1: Tygarts' Creek Swimming Hole (1 mile downstream from Bennett's Mill Co
vered Bridge)
This is a new testing site that allows us easy access to the creek. During flo od stage (usually after any hard rain) we should be able to safely obtain water samples. The cre ek at this site takes a 90 degree bend so there are a lot of rocks deposited at the bend for us to walk on during normal flow. Otherwise it would have been extremely muddy. There is a steep b ank but graded steps down the side. It will be interesting to test the depth of various point s in the creek as there is a knotted rope suspended from a tree for swinging and jumping into the water during the summer!
Dissolved Oxygen: 7.6 mg/L Water Temp 17.5 C pH 7.0 Nitrates 0 Iron 0.5 mg/L Chlorides 28 mg/L CBL Data: Barometric Pressure 753.5 mm Hg Water Temp 22.2 C Conductivity Avg 381.62 mg/L TDS We calibrated the probe to 500 mg/L TD S Dissolved Oxygen Avg 7.2 mg/L
Site 2 Tygart's Creek Bennett's Mill Covered Bridge
At this site, the bank is extremely sloped. Footing is especially difficult af ter a rain. The river floods and it has been nearly impossible to safely acquire test data. Th is time, we used a steel calorimeter cylinder from Chemistry class and tied a lot of heavy duty co tton cord to it. We'll mark the cord before next month's testing so we can determine the water l evel from the bridge to the surface and gauge water depth. The "bucket" was lowered down to the water level through missing slats in the 100+ year old bridge. This technique proved very successful and we look forward to using it again. Dissolved oxygen bottles were submerged in the sample and the water remaining in the bucket was brought back to the school for testing the ne xt day by the general class of 9th grade students. The DO sample was fixed while students ro de the bus back to the school. . .fun and shaky experience!
Dissolved Oxygen 7.5 mg/L Water Temp 22.2 C pH 7.5 Nitrates 0 Iron 0 Chlorides 28 mg/L
We are sending photos from a digital camera today. Look for them! We look for ward to seeing everyone's data on-line ASAP!
