A WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF BUCK CREEK IN EAST CENTRAL INDIANA

As part of an immersive-learning experience at Ball State University, water quality data was collected at four sites along Buck Creek in Delaware County, Indiana over an eight-week period during the fall of 2013. The sites spanned the lower half of the stream corridor from upstream of Muncie along State Route 3 to the confluence of Buck Creek and the White River in Yorktown. Our water quality, nutrient, and sediment data complement ongoing monitoring and restoration efforts by Flatland Resources, the Delaware County Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Muncie Sanitary District.

At each site for each sampling period, field measurements of pH, dissolved oxygen, alkalinity, specific conductance (SpC), and temperature were collected. Values of discharge were calculated using standard stream gauging methods and velocity profiles. Filtered water samples at each site were analyzed in the lab for nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, and other principal ions using ion chromatography and spectrophotometry. The concentration of total suspended sediment (TSS) was determined via the weight of dry filtered sediments.

Results of the study revealed that precipitation is a major factor in surface water chemistry. Increasing runoff results in a significant drop in SpC from diluted concentrations of dissolved ions, principally those associated with mineral weathering in soil and groundwater. However, the concentration of some ions and nutrients increases during and following significant precipitation. For example, Site A had the highest measurement of nitrite (.03 mg/L), phosphate (0.2 mg/L), and TSS flux (100 g/s) during a precipitation event of 3.5 cm on 10/6. Higher values of sulfate at all sites (< 80 mg/L) also coincide with these rain events. In contrast, chloride concentrations increase downstream from < 20 mg/L to >30 mg/L, likely from anthropogenic input. Further courses will add to this dataset and coordinate with community partners to expand the scope of this research.