As the temperatures drop, the fish go deep. As we head indoors for the winter, finding refuge and warmth in a comfy chair by the fireplace or wrapped in a blanket in front of the T.V., fish and other aquatic life also look for a good place to hunker down for the winter. Those “good places” include deep pools and slow runs (flat water areas with slow moving water) in the stream, places with root wads and vegetation or backwater…
We want to stay safe following a winter snow storm, so we clear roads, parking lots, driveways and sidewalks by plowing, shoveling and using salt. Have you ever wondered how salt melts ice? How Road Salt Works The freezing point of water is 32 degrees F. When the temperature drops to 32 degrees or below, hydrogen bonds between water molecules strengthen. The molecules arrange themselves into a crystalline structure, and liquid water becomes solid ice. When the temperature rises above…
Have you ever noticed white stripes on the road in the winter? These stripes are the result of anti-icing techniques that help snow fighters clear roads quickly after a storm. What is Anti-icing? Anti-icing is a proactive approach to maintaining winter safety. Liquid chemical (such as sodium chloride or magnesium chloride) is applied to roads, bridge decks and parking lots before a forecasted storm to prevent snow and ice from bonding to the pavement. However, deicing is a much more…
As summer wanes into autumn and the cooler weather starts to roll in, what happens to the dragonflies that hatched out of our local waterways over the last few months? Well, the answer is a little bit different for each species. These insects (and many more) spend a portion of their lives in the water. Dragonflies are a good indicator of water quality as some species are more tolerant of pollution and others are very intolerant of pollution. Many aquatic…
Leaves are a big topic of research when it comes to water quality issues coming from residential neighborhoods in the fall. Rainwater leaches nutrients from leaves lying in the street, creating a kind of “leaf tea.” The nutrient-rich leaf tea then flows down storm drains and into local streams. The nutrients from leaves, especially phosphorous, cause algal blooms that lower oxygen levels in the stream–less oxygen makes it harder for fish and aquatic insects to live there. The U.S. Geological…
