Geology Students Collect Data from Bull Bayou
National Park College (NPC) students from Dr. George Maxey’s Geology class continued gathering data estimating the total annual discharge from Bull Bayou Creek into Lake Hamilton last week. Maxey’s students gather data from Bull Bayou and Gulpha Gorge each year.
According to the National Park Service, Bull Bayou Creek drains approximately 18 square miles from parts of the Zig Zag Mountains and the Marzan Basin. The drainage basin collects runoff and contributes spring flow to Bull Bayou Creek before it flows into Lake Hamilton.
Students selected a location on Bull Bayou Creek east of the National Park Campus to perform data collection. GPS location, water temperatures, width of stream, average depth of stream and average velocity were collected for each site. Students measured stream flow rates two ways. First, students used a tennis ball and a 33-meter tape to calculate velocity and then that data was compared with data collected using a flow rate sensor connected to a Vernier Lab Quest, Mini with a computer. Stream width was measured using a 33-meter tape; stream depth was measured with a meter stick. A rope was stretched across the stream and cloth pens were used to mark off ten equal increments. At each increment, both stream depth and velocity were collected. Upon returning to the classroom, students entered their data into a spreadsheet, for final calculations.
Results of the project indicated that Bull Bayou’s contribution of water flowing into
Lake Hamilton was approximately 2,789,043,840 m3 this year. This was substantially
higher than the 2017 data of 1,037,536,377 m3. The varying data rates are a result
of recent spring rain contributing to Bull Bayou’s discharge. Participating in the
data collection were Kaleb Elrod, Graham Goodman, Madison Miller, Kiya Search, Tabor
Mason and Vaughn Hunter.
Pictured are Mason Tabor and Graham Goodman measuring stream depth in Bull Bayou Creek as part of Dr. George Maxey’s Geology class field trip. Maxey’s students gather data from Bull Bayou and Gulpha Gorge each year to measure total annual discharge into area lakes.
