Date of Graduation

5-2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences

Advisor/Mentor

Wood, Lisa S.

Committee Member

Savin, Mary

Second Committee Member

Miller, David

Abstract

The water quality of ponds, streams, and groundwater is at risk due to agricultural and urban development. Implementation of ponds near developmental areas can act as catchment sites to reduce further water pollution (Bichsel et al., 2015). However, maintenance of pond water quality is necessary for continued water supply to livestock and general recreational use. The present study aimed to determine the relationship between pond size (surface area range from 142 to 5336 m2) and water quality. Analysis of water quality parameters, including dissolved oxygen, nitrate, phosphate, and chlorophyll-a, were conducted during the summer of 2021 and winter of 2022. Attention was also given to site characteristics such as buffer zone presence and whether the pond was a lotic or lentic system. The results of summer and winter samples were aggregated in Excel™. T-tests and ANOVA tests were used to determine the statistical significance for within and between pond variation. A p-value > 0.05 was statistically insignificant, whereas a p-value < 0.05 was statistically significant. Both medium sized ponds, Davis B and Fields, resulted in statistically significant within pond seasonal variation. Davis B had seasonal variation for pheophytin-a with a p-value of 0.017. Fields had statistically significant within pond seasonal variation for chlorophyll-a, with a p-value of 0.001, and pheophytin-a, with a p-value 0.002. All ANOVA tests indicated that there was no statistical significance between pond size and any of the parameters tested (p-value > 0.05). The lack of statistical significance regarding each parameter’s relation to pond size suggests that the pond with the largest volume can act as the greatest catchment site without corresponding water quality degradation. However, an increased sampling size during each season may result in more statistically significant results in the future.

Keywords

Pond Size; Water Quality; Agriculture; In-situ; Seasonal Variance; Buffer zone

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