Poster ID: EPSCOR0003 -Water Quality

Water Qualities in Selected Areas of Okmulgee County

Jamie L. Artussee, Dept. of General Education and Natural Resources, College of the Muscogee Nation, Okmulgee, OK. Faculty Advisor, Instr. Cynthia Sanders, College of the Muscogee Nation, Okmulgee, OK.

ABSTRACT
Introduction: Water is life. Considering the critical reliance that the earth has on water, the water qualities influence the human population, plants, and animals. Water quality is defined as being within the standard of federal and state regulations. One major source for water and nutrients is Deep Fork Refuge which provides shelter and food to over three hundred species of animals. Historically, Deep Fork has been known to be a site for human pollution. The Deep Fork Refuge pollutants could inflow to different Oklahoma water systems. Consequently animals may consume any pollution found at the refuge. Other sites such as Nichols Lake and Jim Hall Lake are water sources for a municipality and public recreational activities.

Methods: Areas which were studied in Okmulgee County included Deep Fork Refuge, Nichols Lake, and Jim Hall Lake. Chemical screenings were selected to determine the different toxins and the effects on the ecosystem within Deep Fork National Refuge. Other identified tests used were: Salinity Test (Deep Fork and Deep Fork Boardwalk); Lead (Nichols Lake, Jim Hall’s Lake, and Deep Fork); DEHA (Detergent/Soap concentrations) Kit and Water Hardness: (Nichols Lake, Jim Hall’s Lake, and Deep Fork).

Results: Based on these results, the water falls within the safe range for drinking according to the Oklahoma Department of Environment of Quality (ODEQ).

Conclusion: The water samples also had traces of minerals that were man-made and some pollutants that were left by mankind. However, these water systems did not test to have a significant, negative impact on the aquatic organisms.

Relevance of Study: One of the selected areas of water has been known to have accidents that may have contributed to the existence of human decomposition within the site. The municipality that receives its water from this source has not provided the correct environmental clean-up procedure nor have they informed the citizens about it. The water quality tests were important because these could have shown the potential health risks and issues with using this water. If these tests had come back with elevated concentrations, certain precautions would need to be taken among state and federal departments.