Northern Lights Community School

Swan River Water Quality Report

The future needs a different student!

PO Box 2829 Warba, MN 55793

www.nlcschool.org 218 492-4400

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 - Introduction

2.0 - Site Information

3.0 - Sample location

4.0 - Swan River Sampling Results

5.0 - River Water Quality

6.0 - Summary

7.0 - Bibliography

1.0 Introduction

The Northern Lights Community School (NLCS) Youth Energy Summit (YES) Club completed a project analyzing the water quality of the Swan River in Warba, Minnesota. The YES Club is an active organization at NLCS that is environmentally focused and community orientated. The YES Club produced projects that included a community supported agricultural program and a school milk dispenser that helped reduce wasted milk and eliminated milk carton disposal at NLCS.

NLCS is a public charter school located in Warba, Minnesota. NLCS and the YES Club’s mission are in alignment with each other. The focus of NLCS is project based learning with an emphasis on environmental curriculum. This is the second operational year of the YES Club. The main project of this year’s YES Club project is this water quality report for the Swan River.

The reason NLCS YES Club decided to analyze the water quality of the Swan River is because it is located approximately 1,200 feet east of the school. Students studied the local topography near the school. Based on this research water sample locations were selected. Samples were collected and analyzed for temperature, pH, nitrate, phosphate, alkalinity, dissolved oxygen. Sample data was evaluated and recorded in this report. Results and conclusions will follow in later chapters.

2.0 Site Information

The reason NLCS YES Club decided to analyze the water quality of the Swan River is because it is located approximately 1,200 feet east of the school. Figure 1 shows the location of NLCS and the Swan River, provided by Google maps. Figure 2 is the satellite view provided by Google earth. The city of Warba is located in Itasca County, Minnesota. The total area of Warba is 3.27 square miles at an elevation of 1,283 feet (Warba, Minnesota 2016).

The Swan River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 60 mi (97 km) long, in northeastern Minnesota in the United States (GNIS Detail 2016). Swan River begins at Swan Lake, in southeast Itasca County near the city of Pengilly, approximately 13 mi (21 km) southwest of Hibbing. It flows southwest curving east where the swan river enters Warba. The Swan River flows past Warba where it joins the Mississippi in northern Aitkin County at Jacobson (Swan River 2016).

In the area near Warba the Swan River is used for recreational boating and fishing. People enjoy canoeing and kayaking on the Swan River. The main species of fish that attract anglers includes; northern pike, bass, bluegill, and bullhead. The water quality of the Swan River is important to maintain its value as a fishery and recreational waterway.

Figure 1.

Figure 2.

3.0 Sample Location

Students studied the local topography near the school. Based on this research, water sample locations were selected. Samples of the Swan River were collected just north and south of the Highway 2 Bridge over the Swan River on the east end of the town of Warba, MN. Figure 3, displays the water sample locations collected from the Swan River. The YES Club concluded that sampling near the highway bridge is the best location. The area near the highway bridge is easily accessible for sampling. Because the sampling location is near the highway bridge the YES Club believes that pollution from the highway could potentially affect water quality in this area.

Figure 3.

= Swan River water sample locations

4.0 Swan River Sampling Results

Water samples from the Swan River were collected on March 16th, 2016. Water Samples were collected and analyzed for temperature, pH, nitrate, phosphate, alkalinity, dissolved oxygen. Results from the water sampling are listed in the table below.

Analyses

Results

Units

pH #1

7.63

Moles per liter

pH #2

7.00

Moles per liter

Temperature

37.2

Degrees Fahrenheit

Hardness Range

120 - 200

mg/L

Hardness as CaCO3

180

mg/L

Nitrate

1

ppm

Dissolved Oxygen #1

12

ppm

Dissolved Oxygen #2

11

ppm

Dissolved Oxygen #3

10

ppm

Phosphate

.02

ppm

mg/L = milligrams per liter

ppm = parts per million

5.0 River Water Quality

Through YES Club discussions and available water quality testing materials, the sampling parameters were selected. Based on resources, samples were collected and analyzed for temperature, pH, nitrate, phosphate, alkalinity, dissolved oxygen.

pH

The pH of river water is the measure of how acidic or basic the water is on a scale of 0-14. Most natural water falls between 6.5 and 8.5 on the pH scale with 7.0 being neutral. The optimum pH for river water is around 7.4. Water's acidity can be increased by acid rain and other pollutants. Extremes in pH can make a river inhospitable to life. Low pH (acidic) is especially harmful to immature fish and insects. Acidic water also speeds the leaching of heavy metals harmful to fish (Water Treatment Solutions 2016). Two different pH samples were collected at the Swan River Sampling locations. The results from the pH samples collected were 7.0 and 7.63. These pH levels fall within the range of a healthy river pH level and they are very close to optimum.

Temperature

Temperature impacts the rates of metabolism and growth of aquatic organisms, rate of plants' photosynthesis, solubility of oxygen in river water, and organisms' sensitivity to disease, parasites, and toxic materials. At a higher temperature, plants grow and die faster, leaving behind matter that requires oxygen for decomposition (Water Treatment Solutions 2016). Temperature was collect from the sampling locations at the Swan River. The temperature recorded was 37.2 degrees Fahrenheit. The sample was collect on March 16th, 2016. This is a normal temperature for the Swan River during March.

Dissolved Oxygen

Dissolved oxygen is oxygen gas molecules (O2) present in the water. Dissolved oxygen is measured in milligrams per liter (mg/L). Plants and animals cannot directly use the oxygen that is part of the water molecule (H2O), instead depending on dissolved oxygen for respiration. Oxygen enters streams from the surrounding air and as a product of photosynthesis from aquatic plants. Consistently high levels of dissolved oxygen are best for a healthy ecosystem (Water Quality 2016). Human factors that affect dissolved oxygen in streams include addition of oxygen consuming organic wastes such as sewage, addition of nutrients, changing the flow of water, raising the water temperature, and the addition of chemicals (Water Quality 2016).

Dissolved Oxygen Levels Effect on Rivers

0-2 mg/L: not enough oxygen to support life.2-4 mg/L: only a few fish and aquatic insects can survive.4-7 mg/L: good for many aquatic animals, low for cold water fish7-11 mg/L: very good for most river fish

Dissolved oxygen was sampled three times at the Swan River sampling locations. Sample results were 12 mg/L, 11 mg/L, 10 mg/L, respectively. All dissolved oxygen sample results fall in the range of very good for river ecosystems including fish.

Nitrate

Plants use nitrate to build protein, and animals that eat plants also use organic nitrogen to build protein. When plants and animals die or excrete waste, this nitrogen is released into the environment as NH4+ (ammonium). This ammonium is eventually oxidized by bacteria into nitrite (NO2-) and then into nitrate. In this form it is relatively common in freshwater aquatic ecosystems. Nitrate thus enters streams from natural sources like decomposing plants and animal waste as well as human sources like sewage or fertilizer (Water Quality 2016). Nitrate is measured in mg/L. Natural levels of nitrate are usually less than 1 mg/L. Concentrations over 10 mg/L will have an effect on the freshwater aquatic environment (Water Quality 2016).

Nitrate samples were collected at the Swan River. The Nitrate sample result was 1mg/L. This result is on the high end of natural levels of Nitrate in River ecosystems. The Swan River does border areas of agricultural development traveling from its source until it reaches Warba, MN. These areas could be potential sources of nitrate contamination from fertilizer. Even though the sample result is on the high end of normal nitrate levels, this does not appear to negatively affect the water quality of the Swan River.

Phosphate

Phosphorus in small quantities is essential for plant growth and metabolic reactions in animals and plants. Even small amounts of the nutrient can have a large effect on the aquatic ecosystem. Phosphate-induced algal blooms may initially increase dissolved oxygen via photosynthesis, but after these blooms die more oxygen is consumed by bacteria aiding their decomposition. This may cause a change in the types of plants which live in an ecosystem (Water Quality 2016). Sources of phosphate include animal wastes, sewage, detergent, fertilizer, disturbed land, and road salts used in the winter. Phosphate is measured in mg/L. In general, concentrations over 0.05 mg/L will likely have an impact on river water quality while concentrations greater than 0.1 mg/L will certainly have impact on a river (Water Quality 2016). The phosphate sample collected at the Swan River displayed a level of 0.02 mg/L. This level does not have a negative effect on the water quality of the Swan River.

Hardness

Hardness is caused by compounds of calcium and magnesium, and by a variety of other metals. General guidelines for classification of waters are: 0 to 60 mg/L as calcium carbonate is classified as soft; 61 to 120 mg/L as moderately hard; 121 to 180 mg/L as hard; and more than 180 mg/L as very hard (Water Quality 2016). Two hardness samples were collected at the Swan River. The first sample displayed a hardness range of 120 mg/L – 200 mg/L. Another sample revealed a result of 180 mg/L. The water in the Swan River has a high hardness level. This is likely due to weathering of minerals in the river bed. The hardness levels at the Swan River do not appear to have any negative effect on water quality.

6.0 - Summary

The reason NLCS YES Club decided to analyze the water quality of the Swan River is because it is located approximately 1,200 feet east of the school. Students studied the local topography near the school. The YES Club concluded that sampling near the highway bridge is the best location. The area near the highway bridge is easily accessible for sampling. Because the sampling location is near the highway bridge the YES Club believes that pollution from the highway could potentially affect water quality in this area. Samples were collected and analyzed for temperature, pH, nitrate, phosphate, alkalinity, dissolved oxygen.

The results from the pH samples collected were 7.0 and 7.63. These pH levels fall within the range of a healthy river pH level and they are very close to optimum. Temperature was collect from the sampling locations at the Swan River. The temperature recorded was 37.2 degrees Fahrenheit. The sample was collect on March 16th, 2016. This is a normal temperature for the Swan River during March. Dissolved oxygen was sampled three times at the Swan River sampling locations. Sample results were 12 mg/L, 11 mg/L, 10 mg/L, respectively. All dissolved oxygen sample results fall in the range of very good for river ecosystems including fish. A Nitrate sample was collected and the sample result is on the high end of normal nitrate levels. This level does not appear to negatively affect the water quality of the Swan River. The phosphate sample collected at the Swan River displayed a level of 0.02 mg/L. This result is in the normal range of phosphate in river water. Two hardness samples were collected at the Swan River. The first sample displayed a hardness range of 120 mg/L – 200 mg/L. Another sample revealed a result of 180 mg/L. The water in the Swan River has a high hardness level. This is likely due to weathering of minerals in the river bed. The hardness levels at the Swan River do not appear to have any negative effect on water quality.

Overall test results indicate that the water quality in the Swan River is very good. Sample results fall within normal levels of what would be expected for good water quality in a river. Based on the Swan River’s location and development in the area the water quality in the Swan River at Warba should be stable and healthy in the future. The NLCS YES Club recommends and hopes the community of Warba will take advantage of the recreational opportunities the Swan River offers.

7.0 Bibliography

"[EnvirSci Inquiry] Lehigh River Watershed Explorations." [EnvirSci Inquiry] Lehigh River Watershed Explorations. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2016. .

"GNIS Detail - Swan River." GNIS Detail - Swan River. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2016. .

"Google Maps." Google Maps. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2016. .

"Minnesota Geographic Names." Google Books. Web. 02 Apr. 2016. .

"Topographic Maps." : Minnesota DNR. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2016. .

"Water Quality." Water Quality. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2016. .

"Water Treatment Solutions." Rivers Quality and Pollution. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2016. .

Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2016. .

Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2016. .

"Your Geography Selections." American FactFinder. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2016.

NLCS YES Club!

Daniel, Kylee, Desaree, Matt (club advisor), James, Tyler, Josiah, Cole, Jeff, Ben, Ashley

Northern Lights Community School

PO Box 2829 Warba, MN 55793