Steamboats

Last Thursday, the Environmental Science class teamed up with middle school Environmental Science to go on the Delaware River Steamboat Floating Classroom trip. We left school around noon, and drove through Lambertville to the Steamboat dock by the Sewage Treatment Plant. 

We got notebooks and got ready to get onboard! I was excited, although not sure what to expect. I boarded the boat with my group and took a seat on the bow of the Steamboat. (That means the front.) 

We started moving, and I started to see steam coming out of the back of it. The first class we took was  about testing water quality. We each got a container of water, and tested it on three things: Turbidity, pH levels, and O2 content. We used a chart to compare the levels in the water to the chart, and see what everything was. The turbidity or clarity was 40 JTU, which is pretty good, since 0 is the best it can be. The oxygen content was 8ppm, meaning it was about 92%, which is also very good. The temperature was 22ºC, and the pH level was 7-8, which is also pretty good.

We also learned how these things happen. The water gets oxygenated from underwater plants that release oxygen. The pH level (which has to do with whether the water is more alkaline or base) can be caused by acid rain, or run-off from the sewage treatment plant.

The next class we took was about the Shad population. Addie was with us, and she was very knowledgeable about the fish, as she is a very good fisherman. We learned all about the migration pattern of the Shad. They move from the atlantic to the Bay of Fundy in Canada.
Things that impede the migration are overfishing, pollution, and dams- thus also diminishing the Shad population.

Overall, I enjoyed the trip, and learned quite a bit about the River that I see so often but know so little about.