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WHY
IS IT IMPORTANT?
Elevation influences many factors of a river's
chemistry.
1. As altitude
increases, temperature generally decreases. (At about the rate
of 3ºF for every 1000 feet.) See temperature to learn how
it effects a river.
2. As altitude increases,
the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water generally decreases.
This is because air pressure (atmospheric pressure) on a stream
keeps oxygen gas in it. At higher altitudes, there is less air
pressure, so oxygen escapes the water. Oxygen in water is necessary
for many aquatic organisms.
3. Rivers generally
get larger as they flow downstream, so at higher altitudes, they
have less volume.
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