- Conducting the test: A thermometer is used to measure the water temperature at both the site of testing and 1 mile upstream of the site. Note - Our second test was not conducted upstream. However, there was no indication of any change in temperature between the site and the approximate location of one mile upstream.
- Testing: Recording the change in temperature over a certain interval of distance (in our case 1 mile).
- Importance: Change of temperature indicates the presence or absence of organic matter. Can also identify excess sewage entering the water(feces heats the temperature of water). Deviations of temperature can cause the phenomena of thermal shock, which is when temperature changed quickly; possibly harming the aquatic organisms.
- Natural Occurrence: The temperature can change due to natural factors such as the weather, sunlight, how concentrated the water is, the time of day, and amount of macroinvertabrates in the water.
- Human Impact: Constructing a point-source of sewage, as well as constructing pavement near the water can cause water temperature to fluctuate. Runoff of water over heat absorbing pavement can cause the water to be much warmer than usual-possibly creating a "thermal shock" which can be harmful to aquatic organisms.
- Data: The temperature that we collected was 20 degrees Celsius (there was no change in temperature between the site and 1 mile upstream) and had a weighting factor of .11- the collective Q-value was 93/100 which is very good for this type of water. These results indicate that there is a steady, consistent temperature.
- Explanation of Results: The tests reveal a solid, consistent temperature which is healthy for the water and all the organisms that live within that ecosystem. There was no point-source of sewage that was present, or any construction to indicate there to be any human impacts on the water.