The LREC Stream Team continues to grow, today hosting a record 9 volunteers! We collected water samples and made observations at 7 sites this morning.

The wildlife in Deer Creek is doing rather well, despite a fish kill earlier this month. We saw fish at 6 of the 7 sites – at the 7th, they were probably hiding in the deeper, darker water. We also saw crayfish, water striders, and tadpoles.

Water chemistry readings were all within the normal ranges. Dissolved oxygen ranged from 5-9 mg/l. Chloride was 130 mg/l or below at all sites. The pH was mostly between 7.8 and 8.2, though at 8.9, the pH was a bit on the high side of normal (6 to 9) at our furthest upstream site.

If you have questions about what these numbers mean, post a comment and I’ll respond!