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River Pool, Alum Creek, Ohio

Sponsored by
Educated by Nature

United States, Ohio, Columbus

Pool area of Alum Creek, Ohio. Alum Creek is a largely developed watershed in Ohio, with a land use that is majorly urban, for suburb housing or farmland. Like all streams, Alum Creek comprises ripple and pool areas. This deeper pool along the stream bank has exposed roots from the large sycamore trees. Pools serve as areas of depth, slow water, refuge during drought, and important habitat.

Submitted by
Vinny Anderson
Approved by
Fritz Rohde & Lawrence Kent
GPS
40.0634193, -82.9231796
Geographical region
Northern America
Drainage Basin
Mississippi basin
River catchment
Ohio River
Water body type
Creek
Water body name
Alum
Water body part
Pool
Water body course
Middle course
Water body: tributary of
River
Tributary name
Ohio

Videos above and below water

Water Chemistry

Water information

Water type
Fresh water
Water color
Clear water
Water transparency
Medium
Concentration of sediments
Medium
Water temperature
19 °C
Water flow/curent
Slow

Chemical parameters

pH
7.2
Conductivity
GH
KH
Dissolved Oxygen

Substrate in nature

Sand
Beige
Pebble/Gravel
Beige
Stone
Brown
Stone form
Roundish
Silt/Mud
Beige
Leaves
Few
Driftwood
Few
Submerged terrestrial vegetation
No

Aquatic Biotope

Date of collecting
16/07/2021
Collecting area
River bank
Water depth
0,5m
Air temperature
25 °C
Sunlight
Partial shade

Environment

Environment
Affected by human activity
Affected by human activity
Pollution
Pollution
Moderate
Surrounding area

The watershed as a whole is about 50% agricultural land, 25% urban and 25% forested. Close to the sampling area, land use is majorly residential housing, industrial parks and roadways. Minimal forest buffers exist along the river banks.

Underwater landscape

Rocky sandstone river bottom, with high sediment deposits. Deeper pools are found along the river banks, where exposed roots provide overhead cover for fish.

Fish: specimens of the Lepisosteidae, Cyprinidae (spp. Cyprinus carpio, Notemigonus crysoleucas, Campostoma anomalum, Semotilus atromaculatus) Catostomidae (spp. Catostomus commersonii and Hypentelium nigricans), Centrarchidae and Percidae families.

Crustaceans: of the Cambaridae family.

Plants: Justicia americana.

Threats to ecology

Sedimentation, eutrophication, road salt and roadway pollutants.

Riparian zone

Trees near the aquatic habitat
Few - Platanus occidentalis

Bibliography

Comment by the expert

Fritz Rohde: More diversity than listed. Shiners and a bass also present. Could have used more colorful species. No bibliography.

Lawrence Kent: Wonderful re-creation of a great Ohio biotope. I visited this area last year. Great transition from the actual biotope to the aquarium biotope in the video, showing the consistency. Will those stonerollers eventually outgrow the tank? Would love to see more mature fish. Overally outstanding.