WATER TEST RESULTS
LAKE PLACID, TEXAS
|
04/08
|
|||||
| Sites |
A
|
B
|
C
|
||
| E-COLI |
9
|
22
|
40
|
||
| Temps: | |||||
 Air |
25
|
22
|
27
|
||
| Water |
23
|
22
|
24
|
||
| Dissolved Oxy. (mg/L) |
8.1
|
7.1
|
9.4
|
||
| Saturation % |
93%
|
80%
|
116%
|
||
| Conductivity |
530
|
520
|
520
|
||
| pH |
8
|
8
|
8
|
||
| clarity |
0.5m
|
0.6m
|
0.7m
|
|
10/07
|
|||||
| Sites |
A
|
B
|
C
|
||
| E-COLI |
42
|
23
|
65
|
||
| Temps: | |||||
| Air |
31
|
29
|
30
|
||
| Water |
27
|
27
|
27
|
||
| Dissolved Oxy. (mg/L) |
8.1
|
6.9
|
7.3
|
||
| Saturation % |
100%
|
85%
|
90%
|
||
| Conductivity |
350
|
530
|
530
|
||
| pH |
8.2
|
8
|
8
|
||
| clarity |
1.2m
|
1.6m
|
1.4m
|
|
10/06
|
|||||
| Sites |
A
|
B
|
C
|
||
| E-COLI |
10
|
10
|
10
|
||
| Temps: | |||||
| Air |
28
|
33
|
27
|
||
| Water |
28
|
26
|
27
|
||
| Dissolved Oxy. (mg/L) |
8.7
|
9.2
|
8.6
|
||
| Saturation % |
110
|
112
|
106
|
||
| Conductivity |
510
|
500
|
490
|
||
| pH |
7.8
|
5.0
|
7.8
|
||
| pH |
.7
|
.75
|
.6
|
TEXT FOR WATER TEST
CATEGORY DESCRIPTIONS
TESTING SITES: We have established three testing sites on
the lake -- A,B,&C
Site A is just below the highway 78 bridge. Site B is just opposite the island
below SMI and site C is about halfway between the Highway 90 bridge and the
lower dam. This gives us test data for upper, middle and lower Lake Placid. Back
to Top
E-COLI COUNTS: This is the one we all want to know about.
According to the lab crew at GBRA where we take the samples for
analysis, you will always have some E-COLI matter in the lake
representing waste from warm blooded creatures only such as ducks, pigeons pets
and livestock runoff etc. After heavy rains
and high river flow, E-COLI counts will temporarily elevate until
the increased runoff subsides and the river settles back down.
So how high is too high? GBRA tells me that recreational activities
would only be curtailed if monthly testing showed E-COLI counts
of 394 or more. As you can see from our test results our counts have come no-
where close to those levels. Back
to Top
TEMPERATURES: All temperature readings are in degrees centigrade.
For those of us (including me) who forget how this translates
into good old degrees Fahrenheit here are a few equivalents
to refresh your memories. 0 degrees cent. = 32 degrees Fahrenheit; 20 degrees
cent = 68 degrees Fahrenheit; 34 degrees cent. =90 degrees Fahrenheit. Back
to Top
DISSOLVED OXYGEN: Dissolved oxygen (DO)is one of the
most important indicators of water quality for aquatic life.
All of our readings are in milligrams per liter (mg/L). This
also translates to parts per million (ppm). When oxygen levels
in water fall below about 3-5 mg/L or ppm, fish and other aquatic
organisms may have difficulties successfully reproducing, feeding
and surviving.
Temperature plays a major role in influencing the amount of dissolved oxygen
in the water. Water at a temperature of 31 degrees centigrade will only hold
half as much dissolved oxygen as the exact same water at 1 degree centigrade.
Therefore cold water generally holds more oxygen than warm water. That’s
why We also provide you with figures (rounded off) of oxygen saturation percentages. Back
to Top
SATURATION %: DO tests tell how much oxygen is dissolved
in the water. But
it does not tell how much dissolved oxygen the water is capable
of holding at the temperature at which it is tested. When water holds all of
the DO it can at a given temperature, it is said to be 100 % saturated with
oxygen. Therefore we translated the DO numbers into saturation % to give you
a better perspective.
A saturation of 81% means the water in that sample has an oxygen
saturation of 81% of what it is capable of at the temperature it
was tested. Keep an eye on these numbers as the
weather heats up this summer and flows decrease. Back
to Top
CONDUCTIVITY: Pollution can be caused by fluctuating
levels of
dissolved solids or conductivity as seen in a number of activities. Examples
might be waste water discharges high in salt, brine waters from oil production,
irrigation, removal of vegetation shading a stream and overuse of fertilizers.
The measurements in our table are in micro Siemens per centimeter. GBRA tells
me the measurements we have are low and typical of Texas streams and lakes. Back
to Top
PH: PH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline the water is.
The lowest PH value is 0. The highest possible is 14. When PH is
equal to 7.0 it is neutral, neither acidic or alkaline. Lower than 7.0 the more
acidic, and higher than
7.0 the more alkaline. For the majority of streams, ponds lakes
and bays in Texas, the PH is usually alkaline ranging from
7.0 to 9.0. As you can see in the table we are right in that range. Back
to Top
CLARITY: We measure the water clarity using a Secchi
disk --
a 20-centimeter disk with black and white quadrants lowered on a
line marked in half meter segments. Back
to Top
