lbj water quality blog post

  Every living organisms living in aquatic ecosystems need dissolved oxygen to survive. Dissolved oxygen is the product of photosynthesis and diffusion and that is the only way water gets oxygen in it. Turbidity has a major impact on dissolved oxygen. Turbidity is how clear the water is and how much sediment suspended in the water. When the water is too turbid like when an algae bloom happens that happen because of high amounts of nitrates. This blocks the sunlight and does allow plants to grow stop dissolved oxygen made from photosynthesis. The acidity in the water is called pH and aquatic organisms live in water with a pH from 5.5 to 9.5. The water neutralizes this acid and this is called alkalinity. E coli can damage a water stream when in high amounts making it not safe to swim.  Conductivity is waters ability to conduct water. This and rapid and extreme water temperature causes stress to aquatic organisms. These are all important terms of the health of a water source.