Environment Condition of Mitchell and Fisher Rivers

Mitchell and Fisher have many similar qualities. However, there are some obvious percentages between the two. When it comes to high quality water indicators, the Mitchell River outweighs the Fisher significantly in aquatic insect and fish indicators. EPT insects as well as DMS fish can help determine a streams water quality. In the comparative pie charts below, the percentages of high-water indicators between the rivers are large, resulting in the Mitchell to have higher quality water (Figures 1&2). The water chemistry numbers result into interesting information as well.

The conductivity numbers in the Fisher river are drastically larger than the Mitchell. This may be a result of erosion, as another statistic on the number of nitrates are quite large in the Mitchell. These nitrates in the stream come from runoff of agriculture, correlating to the erosion into the river, increasing conductivity number.

The overall reasoning of the statistics taken was to determine the water quality of the two rivers respectively. Comparing these two rivers that are located beside one another, while seeing why one river has a higher water quality based off of a number of samples.

Testing the rivers in three different locations to get better approximations of the averages of each category tested. According to various results, the Mitchell river was the higher quality stream overall. The Fisher river presented some number that raised suspicion. The conductivity numbers in the Fisher were much greater than the Mitchell, varying overall by 15+µS. This statistic could be the cause of many different options, but erosion seems to be one of the greatest factors for the Fisher.

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The number of nitrates found in the fisher, give a strong reasoning to believe erosion is occurring here. Nitrates in the river come from the runoff of agriculture.

This runoff correlating to the erosion occurring, which sparks the conductivity numbers in this river. The erosion issue explains the lower numbers in aquatic animal indicators in this river as well. Fish swim away if the water isn’t the right quality, this being the reason near half of the fish in the fisher are outside the DMS indicator fish. Comparing the two rivers can lead to studies of ways to help this river regain its quality. Possible studies could focus on the nitrate and conductivity levels. Sedimentation is the largest issue when it comes to streams, and lowering the amount of erosion and runoff flowing into the river could boost the quality tremendously. Solving the causes in this river before drastic issues occur.