PowerPoint Presentation

Water Chemistry

•Conductivity

–Falls within range for natural waters, Farber Brook higher

–Higher than historical data, perhaps due to a rainy summer

•Nitrates

–Trace amounts, higher in Farber Brook

•Hardness

–Within range for Maine lakes

•Color

–Higher than threshold to be considered colored

–Higher levels in Farber Brook

Conductivity is a measure of the ions dissolved in the water. The conductivity values for Pattee Pond were found to be within the normal range for natural waters, but the Farber Brook inlet in particular had higher conductivity. Nitrates can be another limiting factor in phytoplankton growth in lakes, and we found trace amounts in the Pond. However, as with conductivity, the nitrates measurement in Farber Brook was higher that the levels found in the lake. Hardness is a measure of the calcium ions in the water, and Pattee Pond was found to have hardness within the natural range for lakes, however Pattee Pond, and lakes in Maine in general have relatively low hardness due to the surrounding geology. We are concerned with hardness because softer water is more susceptible to algal blooms. Color is the measure of the concentration of dissolved particles in the water, and we Pattee Pond to be above the threshold for being considered colored. Farber Brook was again found to have higher color levels than the lake itself. Next I would like to talk about the transparency in the water, which is a good measure of the general water quality in the lake. [Click for next slide]