TA News

By Hunter LeFevre

The stream table lab tested how organic material affects the river channel. A hypothesis was made that, if organic material is included in a stream table, then the channel will have a more constant path because the substrate will have more weight to create a more clear channel. The hypothesis was correct.  It was found that with only sand as a substrate the water went thru this permeable layer. When organic material was added it bonded with the sand, held the banks together more and the water created a more clear channel. A third test was run with sand and organic material that was mixed together and then left out for a day. On this test the substrate was less permeable. The water went on top of the substrate and created the most clear channel. In conclusion, if there is a mix of organic material and sand there will be a more consistent stream channel.