This determines the bacteria content or safety of the water. At high levels of turbidity, the water loses its ability to support different organisms. We used a turbidimeter to measure the samples we took. We compared our samples' lines with the examples to determine the turbidity level. Our Q-values for the turbidity test were 68 for Coon Creek and 67 for Sand Creek.
Total solids is a measure of the dissolved or suspended solids in the water.
Suspended solids can be anything from soil particles to plant and animal matter. Dissolved solids range anywhere from calcium to sulfur. These things are needed but too many of them are harmful. We then weighed the mass of the material that were left on the bottom of the test tube. First, we gathered all of our supplies such as nets, buckets, trays, waders, etc.