Investigation of Acidity and Other Water-Quality Characteristics of Upper Oyster Creek, Ocean County, New Jersey

摘要

Water-quality data collected in the upper Oyster Creek drainage basin indicate that the stream has excellent water quality except for a persistently low pH. The mean concentrations of the major inorganic ions were all less than 6.0 mg/l. Mean concentrations of total nitrogen and total phosphorus were 0.15 mg/l and 0.01 mg/l, respectively. Dissolved oxygen averaged 8.7 mg/l and 81 percent saturation. Low pH levels are typical of streams draining cedar swamps. In Oyster Creek, the pH tended to decrease downstream due to chemical and biological processes.