Abstract:
Fishery biologists and watershed management specialists have recently begun to investigate the pollutional threat posed by organic debris left in or near the forest watercourses. Oxygen content in some streams has fallen below the limits required for fish survival. The biochemical oxygen demand exerted by the debris and the reaeration
potential of the stream must be determined to predict the effects of debris accumulation on dissolved oxygen. The purpose of this study is to specify equations suitable for predicting reaeration in small, turbulent streams and identify the
factors affecting reaeration under these circumstances. Reaeration rates in a mountain stream were determined by depleting the oxygen content at one point with sodium sulfite and then measuring the changes in dissolved oxygen as the deaerated water moved downstream. These reaeration rates were then correlated with the hydraulic
characteristics of the stream.
