The Tar River Reservoir

By Global Water Issues: BIO 330

NCWC

North Carolina Wesleyan's Biology 330 class has been working on a semester long project of determining the water quality of the Tar River Reservoir.  Examining different aspects of the water at six different locations on the reservoir, the group has been able to draw conclusions of water quality through the use of biology, chemistry, math, and by analyzing the geographical and environmental factors as well as other physical factors that affect the Tar River through the use of map generation. 

The project has shown the class that there was a significant amount of preparatory work that needed to be done in order to successfully complete the research, and second that collecting and analyzing the data was very time consuming and stressful at times.  The class was aware of these facts going into the project, but ignorant to just how much time was going to be involved.  The class as a whole learned new procedures and statistical tests while improving technical skills.  For instance the mapping group is now competent in using the ArcGIS program and a global positioning system, the biology and chemistry groups are now familiar with the most efficient ways to collect data in the field as well as using instruments in the lab.  The math group can now statistically analyze field data using Chi-square and t-Test formulas to create probable correlations between different variables at the sites studied.  Overall the project has taught the different groups valuable skills that can be shared between them.

             After the semester long research project the class has been able to make some educated predictions as to why the collected results were seen.  At site one the class determined that there is a negative correlation between semi-tolerant animals and water temperature along with ph.  The thought behind this relationship is that the water is fairly deep at the ramp on this site which didn’t allow for the correct environment for the organisms.  At sites three and four we see a positive relationship with tolerant animals and ammonia.  The class attributed this to the cow pastures nearby.  The significant differences in pH that the class found were that site six and three had different types of water sources flowing into them.  Site three received water from the swamp where as site six was more natural and free flowing.   Site six had a more normal pH level while site three had a lower pH.  Site four was also more acidic than site three because there were more pines in the area dropping their acidic needles into the water.  The class found that there was a higher nitrate concentration at site five when compared to six.  Attributed to this fact was site five had a steeper bank which would have caused quicker runoff and the bank could not had absorbed as many nitrates as the flatter site six’s bank.  When considering turbidity of the different sites the class felt that sites two, three, and four could be easily compared with one another.  Site two was the most turbid since there was no wake zone for motorboats which would have disturbed sediment.  The water at site two was also shallower that at site three or four which would make the sediment more concentrated.  Site three was less turbid than site two which was credited to the wake zone at this site keeping the boats traveling at a lower speed.  The least turbid was site four which was at the dam.  The thought was that the water was not moving as quickly at this site and settling occurred. 

These are the conclusions made by the class at the end of the project.  There was much more data involved in the research and other ideas came up as well, but these statements were thought to be the most significant and most concrete of the predictions made.

The class was divided into three groups:

1.  Mapping (using ArcGIS software and Front Page)

2.  Biology (collected and identified macroinvertebrates, tested for fecal coliform, took soil samples and identified the soil type)

3.  Chemistry (turbidity, temperature, pH, nitrogen, ammonia, and phosphorus measurments)

4.  Mathematics (used t-tests, correlation tests, and Chi- squared tests to analyze data)

* Click On The Hyperlink Of Each Group To See Data