Water Quality Graphing Activity with Student Worksheet

This 11-page worksheet, from the Advanced Technology Environmental and Energy Center (ATEEC), includes two activities that use data from the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA). The data is used to graph changes in discharge and water quality parameters over the course of a water year. The first activity uses data from the Iowa River within the Eastern Iowa study unit. Background information about the NAWQA program is provided. Background information on the Eastern Iowa Basins study, directions to generate the graph, and interpretation and further investigation questions are also included. The second activity involves designing a water quality study.