From the table you can see the effects of the rainfall. For example at ICThomas the DRP level was 0.156 last week and today it quadrupled, 0.409. At Dry Creek the DRP level was 0.057 last week and today it tripled, 0.357. The extreme increase in phosphorous is detrimental to the water quality of the streams.
High amounts of phosphorous cause an increase in plant growth. After the algae die, they break down with the help of decomposing bacteria. Because these bacteria use oxygen, the more organic matter present, the more oxygen they use. This ultimately decreases the amount of dissolved oxygen available to other organisms in the river system. Eventually, increased decaying matter affects temperature and other river characteristics, and the stream becomes choked with aquatic weeds and filled with vegetation. The result is that the types of plants and animals that live in the river changes. This process of human-created increase of nutrients in the river is called cultural eutrophication. (Testing the Waters, 133)
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