The Chopawamsic Creek is located within the boundaries of the Chopawamsic Creek National Park in Prince William County, Virginia. The creek is a tributary of the Potomac River that stretches around 6 miles long. The creek is located at latitude-longitude coordinate of N 38349707 and W -77.30776 (Trails.com, 2012). The Chopawamsic Creek is an example of our many water supplies needed to sustain life. Man including every living being is connected to water indirectly or directly. Through this connection man has and still is destroying this life sustaining element. It is important to monitor waterways to understand their chemical, physical, and biological makeup to improve their quality and sustainability. As the resource manager of the Chopawamsic Creek I monitor the water through sampling and testing to determine its quality
Methods:
Biological monitoring was conducted to determine the quality of habitats and overall water health. I used D-Nets sweeping them across or jabbing them into the water depending on the depth to collect macroinvertebrates for sampling. Benthic macroinvertebrates are small creatures living in streams under rocks and sediment. They are relatively immobile and short lived, sensitive to environmental changes, and are a powerful indicator of chronic human disturbances (City of Federal Way, 2012). …show more content…
There could be an array of reasons for the deteriorating health of the creek from human activities: transportation, water recreations, fertilization, and other nonpoint sources and point sources of pollution. Remedial efforts to remove the current toxins from the water will be implemented along with public education and awareness of further contamination. Regulations will also be implemented to fine those who do not follow pollution laws. Continuous sampling and testing will be conducted on a biannual