Nutrient & biotic assesment & comparison of Carp Lake River: is Wilderness Golf Course a disturbance?

Abstract

After studying the affects of nutrient levels in streams, we decided to analyze nutrients and biota in Carp Lake River to determine if fertilizer runoff from Wilderness Golf Course affected the river ecosystem. We focused on comparing nutrient levels, along with fish and macroinvertebrate samples at one site upstream from the golf course and two sites downstream. We examined nutrients (nitrate, ammonium, phosphate, and total phosphorous), pH, dissolved oxygen, alkalinity, conductivity and discharge and compared findings between control and test sites. Macroinvertebrate samples were collected from each site and we compared their abundance and diversity, the Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera (EPT) Index, proportion of Diptera and proportion of the functional feeding group scrapers. Fish from each site were collected to compare abundance, diversity and proportion of intolerant species. We expected that higher nitrate levels from fertilizer runoff would negatively affect the stream biota. Results showed nitrate levels increased and ammonium levels decreased. Proportion of scrapers correlated with observed algal and plant growth. Proportions of intolerant fishes and EPT increased and Diptera decreased downstream. We suggested this could be due to variation in site microhabitat. Despite variations in biotic factors, nitrate levels changed significantly downstream as a result of the golf course.