Return to the point in the document where this figure is located.
Table 7.1: Parameters monitored by the National Water Quality Network.
| Parameter | Where measured | River or lake | Why the parameter is monitored |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dissolved Oxygen (DO) | field | R/L | Necessary for aquatic life; rapid indicator of pollution; indicator of lake trophic state. |
| Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) | lab | R/L | Indicates decomposing organic matter by measuring the amount of dissolved oxygen used by micro-organisms and biochemical processes. |
| Conductivity | lab | R/L | Simple measure of dissolved inorganic chemical ions. |
| Temperature | field | R/L | Necessary to interpret dissolved oxygen data; mixing of lake currents; protection of aquatic life. |
| pH (acidity/alkalinity) | lab | R/L | Protection of aquatic life; pollution indicator. |
| Visual clarity | Descriptive standards; visual indicators of water quality effects of sediment, algae etc | ||
|
field | L | |
|
|||
| Turbidity and Light Absorption coefficients | lab | R/L | Turbidity coefficient complements visual clarity measurements; light absorption coefficient relates to colour and organic content of water. |
| Total nutrients | Nutrient status of water; potential for algal growth. | ||
|
lab | R/L | |
|
|||
| Dissolved nutrients | lab | R/L | Drinking water standards; nutrient status of water; potential for algal growth. |
|
|||
|
|||
|
|||
| Flow | field | R | To establish relationships between river flow and water quality. |
| Lake level | field | L | To establish relationships between lake level and water quality. |
| Chlorophyll a | lab | L | Indicator of algal density, showing nutrient status; indicator of water use change. |
| Benthic invertebrates | lab | R | Indicator of water use change. |
| Nuisance periphyton growth | field | R | Visual indicator of water quality. |
Return to the point in the document
where this figure is located.
