Total Alkalinity Members: Ally, Kelly, Maggie, Logan Donovan Main Question: What is the health of the Catoctin Creek Watershed? Introduction: We believe that if alkalinity levels in the Catoctin Creek are causing the pH levels to become unstable, then the health of wildlife in that area is decreasing. We will test this process by relating data we have gained to other data people who have tested Total Alkalinity before have received. The overall goal of our project is to determine the health of the Catoctin Creek Watershed. During our experiment, we were trying to determine if the Total Alkalinity in the Catoctin Creek Watershed is at a healthy, stable level. Total alkalinity is the measurement of dissolved alkaline in a substance (Alkalinity, 2024). Total alkalinity is …show more content…
A change in alkalinity results in a change in pH. Therefore, if the alkalinity is too high, the pH will be affected which will affect wildlife living in that area. In addition to that, if the alkalinity is too low, the quick change in pH will lead wildlife such as fish into a more vulnerable state (“pH and Alkalinity,” n.d.). Procedures: Our experiment consisted of various steps in order to determine the total alkalinity of the Catoctin Creek Watershed. The water we tested for our experiment was collected from the Appalachian Trail Rd. North of Roundhill. An area was chosen along the stream where the water was moving quickly, and our teachers were careful not to stir up sediment. The bottle was then submerged in water with no way for air to get in, and once filled they used the lid to seal it. The temperature of the water was gained by placing a thermometer in the same area the sample was taken from and was left there for one minute while results were recorded. Water samples can also be used within the hour, or placed in the refrigerator until use. Testing in class was difficult, but with a few attempts we were able to conduct our