Urbanization Affecting

Biodiversity
By Avery Alexander, Ellen Haggard, Sebe Shearer, and Willa Roberts

Inks Lake Pace Bend Mansfield Dam

Water Usage Over the
Years
Since 2009, water use has transferred from
mainly agricultural to mainly municipal
purposes. Water uses have changed to suit
an urban lifestyle creating a negative
effect on organisms and life overall.
 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
pH Levels in the 8 8.27 8.33 8.25 8.25 8.43 8.28 8.23 8.2 8.2
Lakes Average pH levels of Lake Travis at Pace Bend
pH levels at Pace Bend are above 8 pH, putting the pH
level with that of seawater. The fish living in the lake are
all freshwater organisms, so this is obviously not good for
the fish. Higher pH levels explain why there were many
sightings of dead fish in the surrounding area. Because
these levels were stressful for the fish. And while the
higher alkalinity of the water does not make the lake
uninhabitable, the increase or even major decrease in pH
levels can prove extremely harmful to the organisms
living there.
Biodiversity Data Biodiversity is the variety of life and organisms in an ecosystem.

As we moved down the Lower Colorado River,

we began to see less diverse life forms. At
Inks Lake, we found larger
Freshwater Shrimp
macro-invertebrates like shrimp, aquatic
Largemouth Bass
worms, and what we believed to be cranefly
larvae, but the closer we got to major dam
sites, the less complex and diverse life was.
Based on class data and observations, there
were very few or no macro-invertebrates Algae White Perch or White
Crappie
found at Mansfield Dam. Using our
Shrimp Aquatic Cranefly
observations, we can come to the conclusion Worms Larvae
that dam sites have a negative impact on
6 1 4
biodiversity.
How Water Temperature
Affects the Lakes
Temperature affects many different factors
including pH, DO, the biodiversity, and
susceptibility to pollution and disease.

Some things that can alter the temperature are

weather conditions, global warming, groundwater
inflows, and runoff from urban areas.

The data we gathered from the LCRA has shown

that the average water temperature for both the
winter and summer months has noticeably
increased over the past years and even decades.
Predictions for the Future/The Impact of
Urbanization on Biodiversity.
Using data from 2006 to today, we can predict that the lakes will continue to
become more polluted and less biodiverse in the years between now and 2027.
This is because the areas surrounding bodies of water will be more densely
populated, which leads to higher amounts of pollution.

The impact of urbanization on biodiversity has caused a decrease in the variety of

life. Because of human interference, animals habitats are changing too fast for
them to adapt and their environments are being poisoned.
What You Can Do to Help
- Keep lakes and rivers clean when you visit them!
- Dont litter! Trash pollutes lakes and harms the organisms living there.
- Practice catch and release fishing, especially when you catch fish with
smaller populations. Fish populations are fragile and overfishing can greatly
affect biodiversity and the ecosystem.
Citations
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/10REzRjm4Dh59mnLgBmVfq3WtD5jCDqw8MVCOTI8Wxg4/edit#gid=0

http://www.lcra.org/water/water-supply/Documents/2015-Water-Use-Summary.pdf

http://imgur.com/2xuNhBm

http://www.lcra.org/water/water-supply/Documents/water_use_summary_2009.pdf

http://www.lcra.org/water/quality/colorado-river-watch-network/Pages/water-quality-indicators.aspx