James Pond

There is another possible reason fish in the Gray Area might by dying - phosphates in James Pond. Juan Tuno has some information about the pond (James Pond).

Bo Vyne- James Pond Statement

This whole area used to be farm and ranch land. A lot of that

good land is under the concrete and lawns of the city. Now you

want to close down our ranch just because of a test done by a kid?

We don't have anything to do with fish dying. And hey, if

phosphates come from fertilizer, why not look at the golf

course-they put fertilizer on their pretty little putting greens, and

they're always watering their lawns.

Don Juan Tuno, owner of the cattle ranch, had this to say:

James Pond Files.

Juan Tuno - James Pond Statement

I think cattle manure from my uncle's ranch is killing the fish.

found a lot of phosphates in James Pond. Phosphates are a

kind of chemical found in fertilizer and in manure. I know that

the cattle ranch is just above the pond, and that they started

keeping lots more cattle there seven years ago. I've heard that

too many phosphates make too many water plants grow. Water

plants make oxygen when they're alive, but when they die, they

take away oxygen as they rot. I think that the fish are dying

because there's not enough oxygen in the water. I think it took

a few years for the phosphates to build up, then an algal bloom

happened five years ago.

Too many phosphates in a pond can cause an explosion of algae, called an algal bloom. This can deplete the amount of oxygen in the water, and that could be connected to the survival of the fish because the fish take in oxygen from the water in order to survive.

Conduct tests on the water surrounding James Pond. Test water draining from the cattle ranch, the golf course, and Gray's Land Town for phosphates. Record your results on your data sheet (Remember, extras can be downloaded from the chlorine page).

Bo Vyne, manager of Don Juan Tuno's cattle ranch, made a statement

Don Juan Tuno - James Pond Statement

There are phosphates in healthy ponds! Finding phosphates

doesn't prove anything! If you're looking for where they come

from, TRY NATURE! Phosphates are natural! Or try Gray's

Land Town! Phosphates are in laundry detergent too, ya know,

and there's a lot of dirty laundry in that town!

Golf course owner, Sandy Trapp, also made a statement about the water near the golf course being tested for phosphates.

Sandy Trapp -James Pond Statement

(sarcastically) Oh wow! Kid with chemistry set catches evil golf

course in mass fish murder. That's the craziest thing I've ever

heard in my life! The golf course is on the other side of the hill,

and our water doesn't even drain into the pond! Besides, we

already know who's really guilty. It's the killer cow patties and the

dirty sock juice from the laundry!

Also test for the presence of certain aquatic organisms, and use them to see if there is enough oxygen in the pond. Study and graph the population dynamics of birds in the area, including birds that eat fish.

After completing the tests you will use the information in the James Pond Files to help you complete your research