What is the optimal amount of turbidity of water for most aquatic plants and animals?
1. A normal range for a turbidity of a river has not been established. 2. Turbidity of drinking water can range from 0.5-1.0 NTU, but should never exceed 1.0 NTU. 3. Turbidity that exceeds 5.0 NTU can be easily detected. 4. A turbidity of 0-10 JTU is considered normal. What factors are affected by the turbidity of your watershed? 1. Turbid water s particles absorb the sun s rays, which cause the water temperature to increase and dissolved oxygen to decrease. This may negatively affect the quality of aquatic life. 2. If the water is too turbid, it loses the ability to support a wide variety of aquatic plants and animals. 3. Suspended solids reduce the amount of light that can pass through the water. As less light penetrates the water, photosynthesis slows, releasing less oxygen into the water. If light is blocked to bottom-dwelling plants, they will cease to produce oxygen and will eventually die. As they decompose, bacteria will use up more oxygen from the water. This will decrease the
