Watershed: A watershed is defined as an area of land that all runs into the same body of water.
Middle Fork watershed: The watershed is mostly preserved tall grass prairie. The area of study consists of large biodiversity in both plant and animal life. Mostly smaller animals live in the watershed. The watershed feeds the river from both sides. There is very moderate human intervention in the area: a few buildings and man-made paths are present, as well as asphalt roads and a parking lot.
Land use in the Middle Fork watershed: Most of the land in the watershed is unused by humans. A small portion of the prairie has been cut down to create walking paths for humans to navigate the area. A few buildings have been built for Elawa Farm. Some of these buildings are used to house animals. A portion of the land next to Elawa Farm has been paved over with asphalt for a road and parking lot.
Location: The section of the river that we studied is located in Lake Forest, west of Waukegan Road, very near to Elawa Farm (see map below).
Brief history of the area: In 1900, the Sanitary District of Chicago reversed the flow of the Chicago River through the use of a series of canal locks. The water from the river, including the water from the North Branch, reversed course and began to flow into the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, which was also built in 1900. This canal connected the Chicago River with the Des Plaines River, carrying water towards St. Louis instead of into Lake Michigan. The Middlefork Savanna, in which our area of study was located, first became a forest preserve in 1989. Previously, the land had been in the hands of private owners. The preserve was opened to the public in 2002.
Appearance of the river: At our area of study, the river moves relatively slowly, but has a constant flow. The water is not very clear, as it is difficult to see more than a few feet into the water. The vegetation in the river includes shrubs hanging over the bank, as well as water plants and underwater tree rootlets (small roots ). The banks of the river are somewhat eroded, as some of the soil has been worn away, but other parts of the banks remain stable. The channel is very straight, with very little "curviness" in sight. The water is approximately knee deep in most areas. Standing on the bridge from which we conducted our tests, the river appears very consistent both to the north and the south. The river is evenly about 15 feet in width.
Purpose of our study: The purpose of our study was to estimate the water quality of this section of the Chicago River. Knowing this water quality allows us to draw conclusions on the health of both the watershed and the river itself. Additionally, we are able to make inferences on the natural and human influence on the river from the watershed both at the area of study and upstream. The health of our waterways is important knowledge for both the protection of the surrounding ecosystems as well as the safety of human interactions with the water. Water quality should be known before declaring a body of water safe for drinking from, swimming in, and fishing.
Methods of Data Collection and Analysis: All of our data was collected on September 26th, 2014, beginning at approximately 1:00 PM. The various tests were conducted over a period of approximately one hour. The location of testing was a bridge located in the Middlefork Savanna, almost due west of Elawa Farm. For data collection, students used waders to enter the river and obtain samples of water for testing. Some of the tests, including pH and phosphates, were conducted with test kits that required a small sample of river water. These tests yielded results that could be analyzed almost immediately. Other tests required more time to be analyzed, such as BOD (biological oxygen demand). This test can be analyzed only after a water sample has been covered and left dormant for several days. Data from the nine chemical tests conducted was used to calculate the river's water quality index (WQI). A water quality index gives an approximation for the overall water quality at the area of study. The benthic macroinvertebrates test was analyzed separately. Any macroinvertebrates that were discovered from sediment samples taken from the river were counted and recorded in another data table. This table was used to generate a pollution tolerance index (PTI), which is another method of measuring overall water quality.
Our Findings: The water quality index that we found for our area of study was 74.9%, which implies that the water quality in the area is good. Any WQI between 70-87% is considered good, while any rating over 90% is considered excellent. The pollution tolerance index measured from the gathered benthic macroinvertebrates received a score of 29, which falls under the category of excellent water quality (anything over 23).
Middle Fork watershed: The watershed is mostly preserved tall grass prairie. The area of study consists of large biodiversity in both plant and animal life. Mostly smaller animals live in the watershed. The watershed feeds the river from both sides. There is very moderate human intervention in the area: a few buildings and man-made paths are present, as well as asphalt roads and a parking lot.
Land use in the Middle Fork watershed: Most of the land in the watershed is unused by humans. A small portion of the prairie has been cut down to create walking paths for humans to navigate the area. A few buildings have been built for Elawa Farm. Some of these buildings are used to house animals. A portion of the land next to Elawa Farm has been paved over with asphalt for a road and parking lot.
Location: The section of the river that we studied is located in Lake Forest, west of Waukegan Road, very near to Elawa Farm (see map below).
Brief history of the area: In 1900, the Sanitary District of Chicago reversed the flow of the Chicago River through the use of a series of canal locks. The water from the river, including the water from the North Branch, reversed course and began to flow into the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, which was also built in 1900. This canal connected the Chicago River with the Des Plaines River, carrying water towards St. Louis instead of into Lake Michigan. The Middlefork Savanna, in which our area of study was located, first became a forest preserve in 1989. Previously, the land had been in the hands of private owners. The preserve was opened to the public in 2002.
Appearance of the river: At our area of study, the river moves relatively slowly, but has a constant flow. The water is not very clear, as it is difficult to see more than a few feet into the water. The vegetation in the river includes shrubs hanging over the bank, as well as water plants and underwater tree rootlets (small roots ). The banks of the river are somewhat eroded, as some of the soil has been worn away, but other parts of the banks remain stable. The channel is very straight, with very little "curviness" in sight. The water is approximately knee deep in most areas. Standing on the bridge from which we conducted our tests, the river appears very consistent both to the north and the south. The river is evenly about 15 feet in width.
Purpose of our study: The purpose of our study was to estimate the water quality of this section of the Chicago River. Knowing this water quality allows us to draw conclusions on the health of both the watershed and the river itself. Additionally, we are able to make inferences on the natural and human influence on the river from the watershed both at the area of study and upstream. The health of our waterways is important knowledge for both the protection of the surrounding ecosystems as well as the safety of human interactions with the water. Water quality should be known before declaring a body of water safe for drinking from, swimming in, and fishing.
Methods of Data Collection and Analysis: All of our data was collected on September 26th, 2014, beginning at approximately 1:00 PM. The various tests were conducted over a period of approximately one hour. The location of testing was a bridge located in the Middlefork Savanna, almost due west of Elawa Farm. For data collection, students used waders to enter the river and obtain samples of water for testing. Some of the tests, including pH and phosphates, were conducted with test kits that required a small sample of river water. These tests yielded results that could be analyzed almost immediately. Other tests required more time to be analyzed, such as BOD (biological oxygen demand). This test can be analyzed only after a water sample has been covered and left dormant for several days. Data from the nine chemical tests conducted was used to calculate the river's water quality index (WQI). A water quality index gives an approximation for the overall water quality at the area of study. The benthic macroinvertebrates test was analyzed separately. Any macroinvertebrates that were discovered from sediment samples taken from the river were counted and recorded in another data table. This table was used to generate a pollution tolerance index (PTI), which is another method of measuring overall water quality.
Our Findings: The water quality index that we found for our area of study was 74.9%, which implies that the water quality in the area is good. Any WQI between 70-87% is considered good, while any rating over 90% is considered excellent. The pollution tolerance index measured from the gathered benthic macroinvertebrates received a score of 29, which falls under the category of excellent water quality (anything over 23).