Therefore, dissolved oxygen levels are at their lowest right before dawn. There is a strong connection between temperature and dissolved oxygen. Any activity that changes the temperature of water is also affecting the dissolved oxygen. At higher temperatures, dissolved oxygen and other gases in water move faster and spread farther apart, including out of the water. Also at higher temperatures, the water molecules may move faster and bump out oxygen.
Higher temperatures affect the dissolved oxygen levels in other ways.
This gives a percentage for the amount of oxygen available in the water. See the Percent Saturation Chart on the following pages for more information. Unlike surface waters, groundwater is nearly devoid of oxygen because there is no interaction with the atmosphere and no plant life. When groundwater flows up to the surface from a spring, it may not have DO right away. Because groundwater is usually cold during warm weather months, it is capable of obtaining dissolved oxygen quickly.