A water quality study of a stream of pristine origin
Turner M and Frost D. 1999. A water quality study of a stream of pristine origin
Cut Bank Creek is unique in that its source has been impacted minimally by man. Before entering the Marias River, it flows through land used by humans for many different purposes. Activities such as farming and road construction have had a tremendous impact on the stream. Our project was designed to determine what effect these activities and natural occurrences have had on a stream that begins in pristine Glacier National Park. Six sites were chosen for testing, including one near the origin. The experiments performed at each site tested for presence of nitrates and phosphates, dissolved oxygen levels, pH, turbidity, dissolved solids, biochemical oxygen demand, and macroinvertebrate composition. A pollution tolerance index was also calculated from the macroinvertebrate data. The data recorded was then compared to determine the changes that occurred. The pH, dissolved solids, and turbidity levels increased significantly as we progressed down the stream. Pollution tolerance index, dissolved oxygen level, biochemical oxygen demand, phosphate, and nitrate levels did not appear to increase or decrease significantly from site to site. After analyzing the data, we believe that, although the stream appeared to have been affected by man's influence, the changes that appeared in the data we collected could be expected even without the presence of man.
- Type
- Unpublished Report
- Authors
- Turner, Michael; Frost, Dustin
- Date of Issue
- 1999
- Units
- CRCO , GLAC
- Keywords
- Cut Bank Creek, water quality