Greensboro Science Center studies drought’s impact on local wildlife stream
Low oxygen in a Greensboro Science Center stream showed drought stress that can hit fish, frogs and salamanders before the creek looks dry.
Hannah Damewood collected a June 30 stream sample on the Greensboro Science Center property that showed pH close to neutral but dissolved oxygen lower than ideal for fish, frogs and salamanders. She tested temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen and conductivity in the field before sending water back to the lab for chlorine, ammonia, phosphate, nitrates and nitrites.
The Greensboro Science Center keeps long-term records across its stream, pond, aquarium, zoo and freshwater mussel conservation programs. The most immediate concern was the oxygen level, since slower-moving water holds less of it. Water that moves over rocks and through curves carries more oxygen, while still water can leave aquatic animals in a tougher spot, Damewood said.
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality said June 29 that drought was continuing across North Carolina heading into the Fourth of July weekend and urged residents to follow local water restrictions. Two weeks earlier, the agency said 10 counties in and around the Triangle were in exceptional drought, 42 counties were in extreme drought, 46 were in severe drought and two were in moderate drought. DEQ said the hardest-hit area had received only 25% to 50% of normal rainfall over the previous six months, and Raleigh’s totals were more than 20 inches below historical averages.
North Carolina remained the state with the most significant drought degradation, and much of the state was reporting streamflows near record-low levels, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Protecting water resources is vital for safe drinking water, fish and wildlife habitat, human health and recreation, and riparian buffer rules are meant to stabilize stream banks, filter pollutants, reduce flood risk and provide wildlife habitat.
The Greensboro Science Center says 25 cents from every admission ticket supports conservation efforts, and its on-site freshwater mussel lab raises native mussels for reintroduction into North Carolina streams.
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