Water Quality Test Data

 

 

Name of Tester:  Joel Clark / Jerry Murphy           Date:  2/14/09    Time:  1:38 P.M.                 

 

 

Location :   McCormick Sink (Downstream)        

 

Recent and Current Weather

A week of warm weather following sustained cold spell.  Today, light rain; mid-50’s F

 

Description of Area (Include plant and animal/insect life)

McCormick Sink is an offset sink whose waters have been dye traced to Itchetucknee Springs State Park.  It is a secluded sink in a hardwood/planted pine forest, but people still find their way to the sink (as evidenced by the large amount of trash surrounding and floating in the sink.  The surface is covered with a dense layer of Duckweed, under which is a 6-8” thick layer of Hornwort.  Many large bowfin swim in the small sink.  Many songbirds are present in the forest surrounding, and Gopher tortoise holes are evident beside the trail leading to the sink from the roadway.

 

Description of Water (Include aquatic plant and animal/fish life)

Perfectly clear water, silt easily stirred up.

 

pH:  7.3  (6.5-8.5)                                                Temperature:  71 F

 

TDS:  163 ppm ( <500 ppm)          Nitrate:  0 ppm  (< 10 ppm)            Nitrite:  .15 ppm  (< 1 ppm)

 

DO:  3 ppm  ( >2 ppm)                  Phosphate:  .15 ppm  (<0.1 ppm)        Turbidity:  N/A

 

BOD:  N/A                                     Flow:  N/A                                   WQI:  58.1-76.1 (average to good)

 

Numbers in parenthesis are acceptable limits.

 

Cave Species Counts: 

Many albino crayfish and amphipods present, no quantitative count done.

 

Date and Time of E. Coli Count: 2/16/09  2:00 P.M.     E. Coli (purple w/wo pink halo):  0 colonies

 

Non-Fecal Coli (pink, light pink):  100 / 100 mL    Oher Bacteria (teal/pale/yellow/clear): 300 / 100 mL

 

Implications and questions:  This is the first NACD water test of McCormick, so all tests are inconclusive until future testing gives us long-term data.  The amount of garbage on the ground and in the water have inspired a clean up, date to be announced.  Please find pictures of both the sink itself and the mature coliform test Petri dish.