Date
5-3-2006
Document Type
Presentation
School
Apponequet Regional High School, Lakeville, Massachusetts
Teacher
Norma McNally
Students
Alexa Chiuppi, Salina Duggan, Pat Maguire, Courtney May, Rikki Nobre, Monet Viens
Description
Students compared the water quality of two brooks in Lakeville, MA. Leonard-Washburn is located west of Cross Street and was accessed through private property. The brook is spring fed and drains a woodland and a forested wetland. There are few land uses that impact this brook. Land surrounding the brook has been donated to the Wetlands Trust to prevent future development. The Poquoy Brook site is located on the upstream side of the Taunton Street culvert. Land uses include cranberry farming,low density residential, an active railroad track (ConRail) and Poquoy Brook Golf Course.
Dissolved Oxygen concentrations followed a diurnal pattern in April at both sites due to new growth of aquatic vegetation. This was not true in the fall. Leonard Washburn did not follow the same pattern as aquatic vegetation was not visible and DO depended on aeration only. The pH of both sides was acidic. Leonard Washburn more so due to decomposition in woodland and not forested wetlands. Discharge was greater at Poquoy as it drains a larger area with contributing tributaries. The lower value in Oct. may be due to cranberry bog flooding. The load for nitrates was higher at Poquoy due to the concentration and higher discharge. The calculated FBI for macroinvertebrates was fairly good for Leonard Washburn and fairly poor for Poquoy Brook.
The study showed that land uses and land cover are important factors in water quality and biodiversity.
Recommended Citation
Apponequet Regional High School, Lakeville, Massachusetts (2006). The Comparison of Leonard Washburn Brook and Poquoy Brook. In Watershed Access Lab Projects. Project 48.
Available at: https://vc.bridgew.edu/wal_projects/48
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