Laboratory Activity Instructions (Water Quality) Using Data: Gather the data abo

Laboratory Activity Instructions (Water Quality)
Using Data:
Gather the data about your local environment
Investigate the presence, or lack thereof, of acid rain in your community by using data collected from government agencies.
Lab Instructions:
Part A:
Load: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/current/?type=quality
Scroll down to the state of Florida
Click on the following three (3) sites for this activity:
02234600 WEKIWA SPRINGS NEAR APOPKA, FL
02326526 WACISSA RIVER NR WACISSA FLA
02276998 ST LUCIE CANAL ABV S-80 NR STUART FL
Click on each location to view the data and graphs for the past seven to eight days (automatically presented). You are going to review the following graphs for each location:
Temperature, water, degrees Celsius
Dissolved oxygen, water, unfiltered, milligrams per liter
pH, water, unfiltered, field, standard units
Click on expanded view of data for more in depth analysis. Next Generation Station Page. The link is located in the top left corner of the page (see graphic below). (attached in pdf)
Copy and paste all graphs and include in lab report.
Part B:
Review the locations of each sampling point and determine why the parameters fluctuate from each location. Could “natural” factors contribute to the change in water quality from one location to the next? Could “human” factors contribute to the change in water quality from one location to the next?
https://earth.google.com/web/@28.7047575,-82.13359,17.93190666a,616119.74711814d,30y,0h,0t,0r/data=MikKJwolCiExV2Iwc2NuRFBjemVsUVNseFA4MXRVSHFjdWJaYUtkRUYgAToDCgEw?authuser=0
Part C:
Complete the lab report. In this report, you do not need to make graphs. You can copy and paste the graphs for each of the three sites in this lab report. Focus on explaining the graphs and the differences across sites.
[Optional Discussion Questions. You do not need to complete all of these, but they can help guide the lab report. Think about them when putting together your analysis].
What can you learn from looking at the graphs from the three sites?
What is the overall trend of pH at WEKIWA SPRINGS NEAR APOPKA, FL?
Compare the dissolved oxygen at WEKIWA SPRINGS NEAR APOPKA, FL and ST LUCIE CANAL ABV S-80 NR STUART FL.
How can humans impact the pH and dissolved oxygen levels of from the three sites?
What are some possible acid rain pollutants near you?
What are some possible sources of turbidity in water ways near you?
What laws or regulations control acid rain pollution?
What local industries might be contributing to the acid rain? What evidence do you have to prove this?
If you live in an urban region with a high concentration of industry in all directions, what next steps might you take to pinpoint the source of acid rain?
How does the idea of acid rain fit within the discussion of environmental science and sustainability?
Rubric:
15 pts
Excellent (Must have 7 of 8 criteria in Lab Report)
(1) Table(s) are presented in multiple ways to display pH data for short term and long term analysis. (2) Graph(s) show short term and long term pH concentrations. (3) Graph(s) type chosen is the best way to represent the data and contain a key, all relevant numbers, a title, and all labels. (4) Acid rain sources and scientific background is used to support main ideas of the lab and shows a depth of knowledge about acid deposition. (5) Data is analyzed to discuss pH trends and how it relates to specific sources of acid deposition. (6) Student discusses causes and/or sources of acid deposition and proposes solutions for these issues. (7) Lab report is cohesive and easy to understand. (8) Report is well organized and contains no spelling or grammatical mistakes.