MMFinal


 * Mary McIntosh**


 * Mashamoquet: The Project Summary**


 * Hawkins B3**


 * The Mashamoquet Project was something we did as a class but in groups. Each group was assigned a different test. We all took water samples and practiced water testing, then the class went to Mashamoquet and took water samples from there and also tested them there. After collecting the data we came back to class and put all the data together. In my group we all did testing and Kristina wrote the data down. Then when it came to telling the class about our data, Kristina typed and we both did research. Corey and Evan Presented it. A positive test result is when you do a few tests and they all come to about the same result. A Result of a healthy environment is when the surrounding is clean and when the water is tested it comes to a healthy pH and that there are positive tests. The results from Mashamoquet were actually not as bad as most of the class expected. Most of the tests showed the water was at a good enough level at that time. I didn't think Mashamoquet was that bad to compare it to much to healthier water. The only thing is that it wouldn’t be good to drink mashamoquet water.**


 * At Mashamoquet it seemed quite normal like any other river. Except the pond wasn't good at all. There wasn't really any water in there, at the time, but there was oil that could be seemed on top of the water. Otherwise, it was very peaceful and nice to be outside. Mashamoquet Brook was once the domain of the Mohegan Chief Uncas. The name Mashamoquet came from the Indian meaning "Stream Of Good Fishing" In 1723, parish and township privileges were granted and the town became Pomfret, named after Pomtefract in Yorkshire, England. Now Mashamoquet is used for swimming (when not closed), Hiking, has an RV campground, a park (w/ a picnic tables and a lake/swimming area), and a tent campground. While being there it wasn’t that bad as people make it sound. There wasn’t trash everywhere, it was actually clean. The water wasn’t bad. It didn’t smell bad; it smelt like a river smells like.**


 * While being on the fieldtrip to Mashamoquet, the weather was alright, it was a bit cold. The weather wasn’t so bad i wouldn’t have wanted to go. It was cold and a little wet out. The water was a little cold; it as a cold day but it isn’t that bad. This data was provided for you in the class data. During the fieldtrip I helped to test the water for Alkalinity.**


 * Dissolved oxygen (DO) is essential for the maintenance of healthy lakes and rivers. Most of the dissolved oxygen in water comes from the air. Oxygen can also be mixed into the water by waves on lakes or the tumbling of water on fast-moving rivers. Algae and rooted aquatic plants also deliver oxygen to water through photosynthesis. The Dissolved Oxygen had a positive test result, because the water samples from the water and the DO level came out to be a 9.2 and trout and salmon only need a 5 to live in. The water quality turned out to be very healthy at Mashamoquet.**


 * Water that is considered to be “hard” is high in dissolved minerals, specifically calcium and magnesium. As the concentration of the dissolved minerals increase, the water becomes harder. Calcium and magnesium enter the water via the action of carbonic acid. As water and carbon dioxide react, carbonic acid is produced and dissolves calcium and magnesium from carbonate rocks. A Positive water hardness test would be 121 to 180=hard and an unhealthy water hardness test would be soft which is 0 to 60. At Mashamoquest the total hardness was 40, which is a soft result. Soft water can be detrimental to aquatic organisms, especially fish. The water hardness level at mashamoquest was a really unhealthy level for the fish. A healthy level for fish would be a harder water level.**


 * Alkalinity is a measure of how much acid (H+) is required to lower the pH to a specific level. The higher the alkalinity the more acid the water is able to absorb. One of the Alkalinity PH levels that were found when testing was 20.6mg/l and the other one was 40mg/l. The alkalinity of fresh waters is typically between 20 and 200 mg/l. A negative PH level would be either too low or too high. The levels found at Mashamoquet were border line for fresh water, meaning it is safe enough for aquatic animals.**


 * Ammonia is a gas that is lighter than air and is extremely soluble in water. When dissolved, it reacts to form ammonium (NH4+) and hydroxide (OH-) ions. Ammonia is affected by several factors including pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen concentration, salinity, carbon dioxide concentration, and previous acclimation to NH3, fluctuating or intermittent exposures, and other toxins. The ammonia test, like the pH test was done with an indicator. The darker the green, the more ammonia was present. (The ammonia information wasn't really helpful to the questions asked)**


 * The pH scale measures how acidic or basic a substance is. It ranges from 0 to 14. A pH of 7 is neutral. A pH less than 7 is acidic, and a pH greater than 7 is basic. Each whole pH value below 7 is ten times more acidic than the next higher value. The pH scale ranges from 1 (very acidic) to 14 (very alkaline or "basic") and is logarithmic. The pH of water is extremely important to aquatic life. Most aquatic species tolerate a limited pH range and most fish require a pH above 5.5 for growth and reproduction. If waters become too acidic, metals, such as aluminum and lead, can be leached from the surrounding soil and bottom sediments, contaminating fish and other aquatic organisms. pH was tested by using an indicator that showed a yellow color if the water was acidic or a blue color if it was basic.**


 * From the test results in class everything at Mashamoquet seemed it was fine. If it wasn't then Fish wouldn't be able to live in that environment. The fish wouldn’t be about to live and reproduce in unsafe water for them. Plant and animal life would be in danger and would die if these tests weren't positive. A healthy environment is clean and shows positive test results. To keep Mashamoquet clean people can clean up if there is anything there to be cleaned; they can take care of the land there by not destroying anything, and just enjoy the view. Mashamoquet and the killingly pond are both either not clean or don’t look clean. Mashamoquet was clean and killingly’s pond looks kind of gross. I definitely enjoyed going to Mashamoquet a lot more than seeing killingly’s pond.**

Missing the environmental factors, E.coli etc.