Warbler Ridge Stream and Pond Monitoring
A look at the quality of ponds and streams in Warbler Ridge
Warbler Ridge is part of the Embarras River Basin, a region valued for its diverse habitats and high-quality aquatic ecosystems.
Quality streams and ponds are important for all kinds of life, from the salamanders that need the water to breed, to the leopard frogs that live in ponds, and so many more.
Assessing the health of Warbler Ridge's water features involved collecting data on the physical properties of the water (pH, turbidity, etc.) as well as a tally of the macroinvertebrates found.
Data Collection
Site 1:
This first, northern site is a section of stream in Warbler Bottoms, surrounded by mostly woodlands. The stream flows through a culvert about 50 meters upstream from where I sampled. The stream is roughly 10 feet wide at this point and the substrate is a mixture of sand and silt.
Site 2:
The second, southern point was a medium-sized pond near the Warbler Ridge south parking lot. It is surrounded by woodlands, although there are farms and residential areas nearby. The bottom of the pond is completely covered with decaying leaf litter.
Measuring Water Quality:
Temperature can limit biological activity, and affects the level of dissolved oxygen in the water (colder water holds more dissolved oxygen).
Turbidity can affect the amount of light that penetrates the water, impacting photosynthesis and water temperature.
pH determines the type of organisms which can inhabit the stream.
Phosphorus and nitrogen are essential nutrients for plants and animals but can cause problems such as eutrophication, or excessive algal growth and in turn low dissolved oxygen levels. Sources of phosphorus can be rock and soil weathering, wastewater and farm runoff, etc. Sources of nitrates include farm runoff, industrial discharge, and wastewater treatment plants.
Running water naturally has more dissolved oxygen (DO) than still water. Sensitive macroinverebrates will die or move away if dissolved oxygen is too low. DO is effected by temperature, nutrient levels, and the presence of wastewater from things such as sewage treatment plants.
The most abundant stream macroinvertebrates found were caddisfly larvae, midge larvae, and riffle beetles. Riffle beetles and caddisfly larvae are fairly pollution sensitive, and midge larvae are fairly pollution tolerant. The presence of two sensitive macroinvertebrate groups indicates that this stream has fair to good water quality.
The pond macroinvertebrates collected were mostly mosquito larvae, aquatic worms, and midge larvae. The presence of pollution tolerant species like aquatic worms and midges and the lack of pollution sensitive species indicates poor water quality in this pond.
There are many possible explanations for the poorer water quality of the pond. Its proximity to farms, houses, and roads leave it susceptible to various kinds of runoff that throw off the balance of nutrients and dissolved oxygen in the water. Farm activity such as the use of fertilizers can dump excess nutrients to nearby waterways, causing harmful algal blooms. Wastewater and effluent often find their way into all of the nearby waterways and can completely change their ecology. Generally, humans are not good for nature, but there is no way to find solutions to these problems if we do not understand what the problems are in the first place and that is why stream/ pond monitoring is so important!
In a wooded conservation area, it is easy to overlook the small ponds and streams which are tucked away between the trees. Yet these tiny aquatic habitats can harbor biodiversity and act as an indicator of the health of the surrounding ecosystem. Also, many of the charismatic species that get people excited about nature rely directly on streams and ponds. Aquatic ecosystems are their own hidden world, so I say put on your waders and see what you find.