WATER QUALITY OF URBAN SPRINGS IN SPRINGFIELD, MO: DATA REVISITED

Maintaining data, current data, about all our natural resources is important to protect ecosystems, natural and urban life alike. The city of Springfield, MO largely sources freshwater from surface and groundwater sources like McDaniel and Fulbright Spring. Due to climate change and the increasing amount of human activity in the Springfield area, changes in groundwater behavior could happen suddenly. Keeping relevant data about spring and groundwater quality is important to anticipate and prevent potential deterioration of aquifer quality. The first focus of this project was reviewing available general data and water quality data of springs located in urban Springfield, MO. All data reviewed was sourced from publicly accessible resources, largely the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR). Results yielded 150 spring locations with varying amounts of data. The second focus of this project was contributing to this data by conducting our own water quality research. Four springs were selected in this area to conduct testing on: Sequiota Spring, Silver Spring, Doling Spring, and Dingledein Spring. At these sites, samples were tested for pH, nitrates, turbidity, and total hardness. Analysis yielded relatively stable water quality results.