Blackwater River

Swimming in the Blackwater

Operation

On Friday, September 25th the AP Environmental Science Class went off on a field trip to explore the connection between our local Blackwater River and our watershed. The field trip would consist of three testing sites where at each site we would test different aspects in the water, both with technology and a manual form. The aspects that we were testing throughout the Blackwater River were air temperature, PH, dissolved oxygen, Turbidity, and water temperature. We also looked into the ABCDEE's of the river in order to determine why aspects are the way they are. The procedure would consist of the group starting from a lower part of the river and working our way upward.

Site 1

     The first site of analysis was the lowest section of the Blackwater River that we visited. Located just off Bridge Road in Andover NH the group set out on foot to visit the site. Upon arrival our teacher, Alan, showed the group how to operate each piece of equipment to accurately collect data. We also were taught about what a watershed really is, we were showed a map of the the Blackwater River and the contour lines around it. The closer the contour lines are together, the steeper incline there is and that dictates where the water washes down to, and the mountains around the Blackwater drain into it. Alan spoke more about the river and said "Rivers and lakes are like the veins, arteries and capillaries of the world, feeding the ecosystems of the earth." Once everything was thoroughly explained the process of collecting data began.
 

What each term means...
-Turbidity: The measure of how much material is suspended in the water, which affects the passage of light. Materials that could be suspended in water are clay, silt, sand, algae, plankton, microbes, and other substances.
-PH: The concentration of hydrogen ions in the water which determines the alkalinity or acidity of the water.
-Dissolved Oxygen: The oxygen level in the water that is available for organisms and their process of respiration.
-Water Temperature: The temperature of the water.
-Air Temperature: The temperature of the air.

                                          Location of site 1

Students testing the water

     Whilst at the first site we tested the different components of the river. After the testing was done at the first test site we were able to share the data collected with each other and determine the condition of the water. Below is the table of the first site.

Site 2

     The group arrived at the second site of the watershed field trip which is located next to Eagle Pond, a tributary of the Black Water River. Here is where the group was able observe the affects of humans on a body of water. 

                                          Location of Site 2

The tributary is located just off Route 11 in Andover, New Hampshire and Eagle Pond is located next to a landfill. The salt runoff of the highway would affect the quality of the water. As well, the landfill near Eagle Pond once leaked into the pond therefore entering the Blackwater River and affecting the PH of the water. At this site is where we experienced the first problem of the field trip, we were unable to take the dissolved oxygen sample from the river because of time restraints, due to the fact that the technology did take some time to warm up.

The information that we gathered at second site is in the table below.

Site 3

     The final site, located on Pleasant Lake in Wilmot, NH is the headwater of the Blackwater River. Here we were able to see the effects of people on a larger body of water. "The behaviors of the house on this lake, affect the chemical, living system here. Remember it is an issue of scale." All houses on the final site generally had a buffer between it and the water because if all the chemicals they used on their lawns instantly were to drain into the lake it would upset the chemical balance greatly. Students were able to observe that larger bodies of water are generally warmer because they are able to absorb much more light, but larger bodies of water also have a great risk of becoming polluted. 

                                          Location of Site 3

Pleasant Lake discussion 

The lake did prove to be much warmer then the other bodies of water that we observed, below is the table for our final site.

Conclusion

     The field trip was an excellent experience that was a great introduction to the course and the expectations were laid out clearly along the way. Throughout the field trip many new concepts were introduced and offered a learning opportunity for each individual in the class, wether is was to learn how to use a device or new vocabulary that could be used in the future. The ABCDEE's are a great example of how classroom information can be integrated to experiential learning in the field. 

     "There is an ethical question that you have to ask at some point, at what point does our behavior impede on other animals and their existence or our impacts on an entire system. How decide if that is ok or not okay?" The question offered by Alan offered insight on our worldwide solution, the individuals of society do not think that there individual pollution will ruin an ecosystem, but if each house was able to put in five milliliters of pollution that would quickly add up to destroy a small ecosystem. The field trip integrated prior class discussion to a real world scenario in which students were able to apply their knowledge. 

Citations
-All Site pictures used from www.maps.google.com 
-Quotes from Alan Mcintyre
-All pictures from Riley Anderson