What is the average ph of lake ontario

From this, we can see that low pH values are more acidic than higher values. The Great Lakes are protected from acid rain by limestone bedrock, which acts as a buffer to neutralize acid rain. The pH level of the water in rivers, lakes, and wetlands is important to plant and animal life.

Most animal species cannot survive if the water is too acidic generally below 5. Optimal pH for many species is between 7. Paterson, P. Sutey, D. Evans, R. Xu, J. Rusak, C. Thomson, and C. Dorset Environmental Science Centre: lake sampling methods.

Jeziorski, A. The widespread threat of calcium decline in freshwaters. Science Water management policies, guidelines and provincial water quality objectives of the Ministry of Environment and Energy. Neary B. Mapping the potential spread of the zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha in Ontario.

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences — Water quality in Ontario: report. Back to Top. Water Quality in Inland Lakes. Data Confidence. Geographic extent. These results are similar to those reported in Twenty-one percent of the lakes sampled had calcium levels close to this threshold 1.

A pH of 7 is neutral. Values above 7 are basic and values below 7 are acidic. Lakes in Muskoka tend to be slightly acidic. Although this tends to be a natural condition, many lakes have experienced acid stress as a result of acid precipitation. These lower pH values strain fish and other aquatic animals and habitats. Conductivity is a measure of the ability of water to conduct an electrical current.

It is measured by the amount of electrical current passed through a water sample. Water conductivity is closely connected to the amount of dissolved substances in water. Conductivity can indicate the degree to which a watershed's bedrock and mineral soil resists erosion. Typically, low-conductivity streams have less groundwater input than high-conductivity lakes. The Muskoka Watershed Council has developed guidelines for collecting bacteria data in recreational waterbodies.

Benthic monitoring involves collecting benthic macroinvertebrates otherwise known as benthos , which are mostly aquatic insects or the aquatic stage of an insect. These insects live in, crawl upon, or attach themselves to the bottom of the waterbody. Benthic monitoring can provide an understanding of a waterbody's condition because these organisms are sensitive to the smallest changes in chemical and biological factors.

Their presence or absence provides valuable information about a waterbody's health over time. Benthic macroinvertebrates are relatively inactive, inexpensively sampled, and fairly easy to identify. The reference conditon approach RCA to bioassessment involves the use of a set of minimally impacted reference sites to evaluate the condition of subsequent test sites.

Test site data is compared to reference sites and an assessment of the level of impairment is produced. There are seven steps involved in applying the RCA to bioassessment:.