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.
 0 1 1
pH Levels in 0 8
7
0
9
1
0
1 1
2
3 1
4
1 1
5 6

the Lakes Average pH levels of Lake Travis at Pace Bend

pH levels at Pace Bend are above 8 pH,8 8putting
8 8 8 8 8. 8 8 8
. .
the pH level with that of seawater. The fish living. . . 2 . . .
2 3 2 2 4 8 2 2 2
in the lake are all freshwater organisms, 7so this
3 5is 5 3 3
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 DataBiodiversity 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,
Largemouth Bass
aquatic 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 Algae White Perch or White
few or no macro-invertebrates found at Crappie
Shrimp Aquatic Cranefly
Mansfield Dam. Using our
Worms Larvae
observations, we can come to the
conclusion that dam sites have a
negative impact on 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