Spring 2025 Stream Testing Data

We are studying the health of Crockery Creek at Patterson Park in Ravenna, MI. At Patterson Park, the riverbed consisted of a 50/50 layout of sand and rocks. Our site has some clay mixed in with sand. Patterson Park has very minimal loam with some erosion, but not excessive amounts. There was recent construction on a bridge overpassing the upstream part of our site, but there has been no dredging or channelization done to our area. Very little runoff is in our steam site, since there are few houses close to our site.  There is around 50-90% overhanging vegetation. 

We tested the water for pH, conductivity, salinity, and total dissolved solids. We also tested for E. coli and collected macroinvertebrates. The methods we used to collect data were to test the stream water for E. Coli using the left, right, and center method. We gathered our macroinvertebrates by checking leaf packs and moving rocks in the water to gather sample insect populations. The water quality tests were conducted using a PCTS Testr 50. We used a turbidity tube to determine the turbidity levels. We used a GeoPack flow meter to determine the stream flow of the creek. While onsite, we wrote down the data we collected in our field books, then we returned to the classroom and imported it into a Google form, which filled out a plot chart to show our data with both present and past dates. 

For our analysis, we collected our water testing, macroinvertebrates, and E. coli. When we receive the information after we received the results or identified the bugs, we put it into the Google form. The Google form would create a chart. On the chart there is lines that say standard max or standard minimum. With those lines, it will tell us if our water is under or above the preferred numbers. 

Some questions we still have about the health of our stream site are:

1. Can we add vegetation to the stream bank to improve the stream's overall health?

2. Are there other bacteria or fungi that we could test for that would help us determine creek health? 

3. How can we incorporate the Sucker Monitoring counts into our stream health data/ are they related?

Fall 2024 Stream Testing Data

One large takeaway from the data and the charts is how the rain affects the stream at Patterson Park. After it rains, we have seen elevated amounts of salinity, conductivity, and E. coli.

 A second large takeaway from the data and the charts is how E. coli is affected by the different seasons. The water quality is better in the spring than in the fall.  

A third takeaway is how fast the water can easily change in temperature and the water testing measurements. It can happen easily, even if it is windy or raining. The stream had a clear turbidity the whole time and a good flow

A fourth takeaway is that I expected more aquatic life.  We saw much fewer crayfish than we thought.  We identified lots of true flies and mayflies, this indicates a low level of pollution throughout the stream.  

Spring 2024 Stream Testing Data

Overall Patterson Park is a good 50/50 layout of sand and rocks. Our site also has some clay mixed in with the sandy parts, this site changes frequently between a sand/clay mixture and rocks/boulders. Patterson Park has very minimal foam with decent amounts of erosion, but not excessive. There was recent construction on a bridge overpassing the upstream part of our site, there has been no dredging or channelization done to our area. Very little runoff from a few houses decently close to our site, and there is around 50-90% overhanging vegetation. Patterson Park overall is a good site for testing with a lot of different things and aspects to study.

The spreadsheet above shows all six of the water perimeters that we tested for, including pH, salinity, conductivity, temperature, total dissolved solids, turbidity, and flow rate. We used a multimeter probe pocket tester to test for most of those except for turbidity and flow rate. We used a turbidity tube and a flow meter to test for those. Due to the warm weather during week two, the temperature of the water rose a little, but the temperature was never above average. When the water is warmer, it is more reactive to our tests. The conductivity was fairly consistent during all three weeks of testing. Typically runoff, groundwater, construction, and more can affect the conductivity levels. The levels of conductivity at our site were fairly normal, meaning that aquatic life should be able to thrive. The measurement for salinity at Patterson Park was the same for all three weeks, right between the minimum and maximum amount. The salinity could change due to runoff in fields or the amount of dissolved items in the water. The higher the salinity the less aquatic life there will be. The pH at our site was reaching and exceeding the standard, making it basic.  pH can be affected by laundry detergent, soil additives that run off, or many other factors. pH has been high throughout our local system. The high pH means low acidity in the water, making it easier for aquatic life to thrive.  The turbidity for each testing date exceeded our measuring tool (Greater than 120), meaning the water was very clear. Things that could affect turbidity are wildlife, pollution, and the speed of the water. If the turbidity was bad, it could mean less aquatic life. The flow rate during the first week was very low, the second week being the highest, and the third week was between the first and second week. The weather, water depth, and debre could affect the flow rate. For as long as the stream has good movement for the flow rate, aquatic life can thrive. Overall, the testing went well and only a few things stuck out. 

Now for the macroinvertebrate portion. We used dipnets to collect the organisms, then sorted through the debris we collected using plastic bourds. There wasn't much success in our three testing days due to not being able to collect and find many bugs. For the ones we did collect, however, we used magnifying glasses, a tray, and an app to help us sort and identify the different insects. The top three insects we were able to find were true flies, aquatic caterpillars, and bloodworms. Those three mean that the water is decent, not good or bad. Bloodworms typically mean that the water is lower quality, while the aquatic caterpillars and true flies mean that the water is fairly healthy.  All together, there wasn't much aquatic life other than a lot of crawfish, and a few larger fish just passing through, so that could tell us something about the water.

What we did was go out to our test sites regularly and take samples as well as measurements such as water flow, conductivity, salinity, temperature, pH, and turbidity,  then we went back and turned these samples and info in. The E. coli samples we took were then taken to Grand Valley State University where the samples were examined and the results sent back to us, after receiving the information from them and the measurements we took we were able to calculate the quality and situation of the water.  During our research, we were able to gain more knowledge about our water and understand how many more aspects impact the water that we love and need.

A special thanks to the GVSU Department of Geology for providing us with equipment to take our measurements, which made the task of taking the samples considerably simpler.  We would also like to thank Dr. Amanda Buday for her leadership; Jenna from GVSU Honors College for helping us conduct E. Coli tests, the Ravenna Conservation Club for paying for our E. Coli testing, and Swanson Pickle Company for buying our waders and dipnets. 

Fall 2023 Stream Testing Data