MPA Pond Survey and Water Quality Assessment Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, definitions, and concepts from the Mounds Park Academy Pond Survey and Water Quality Assessment Report.

Water Transparency

The measure of how deep light is able to penetrate a body of water.

Secchi Disk

A circular device lowered into water to measure water transparency by identifying the depth at which it is no longer visible.

Phosphates

Nutrients that act as fertilizers in water, entering primarily through agricultural runoff and fish waste to stimulate aquatic plant and algae growth.

Nitrates

Compounds entering water through agricultural runoff, fertilizer, and animal waste that act as fertilizers and promote plant overgrowth.

pH

A measure of how basic or acidic pond water is, which is essential for governing chemical and biological processes.

Alkalinity

The measure of how well water resists changes to pH, measured in parts per million (ppm) of calcium carbonate.

Water Salinity

The amount of dissolved salts present in a specific concentration of water.

Water Conductivity

The measure of water's ability to conduct electricity, which indicates the concentration of dissolved ions and minerals.

Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)

A measurement of all organic and inorganic material dissolved in water, including minerals, road salts, pesticides, and metals.

Dissolved Oxygen

The concentration of oxygen present in water required by aquatic organisms to live and breathe.

Eutrophication

The process where excess phosphates and nitrates trigger rapid plant and algae overgrowth, blocking sunlight and depleting dissolved oxygen as dead organic matter decomposes.

Sedimentation

The layer of solid particles, debris, and dirt accumulated at the bottom of a body of water.

Water Hardness

The concentration of dissolved calcium and magnesium minerals within the water supply.

Beltline Interceptor Pipe System

A buried pipe system ranging from 7 to 12 feet in height and up to 30 feet underground that drains over 17,800 acres to connect Lake Phalen to the Mississippi River.