International Journal of
eISSN: 2576-4454
Submit manuscript...
Research Article Volume 9 Issue 3
Yearly fluctuations in gas saturation in a karst spring at a fish hatchery
Alayna Wagner, Kali Roduner, Marissa Tuttle, Jill M Voorhees, Michael E Barnes
Received: September 05, 2025 | Published: September 22, 2025
Citation: Wagner A, Roduner K, Tuttle M, et al. Yearly fluctuations in gas saturation in a karst spring at a fish hatchery. Int J Hydro. 2025;9(3):112-115. DOI: 10.15406/ijh.2025.09.00410
Abstract
Natural springs are common characteristics of karstic landscapes, such as those found in the Black Hills of South Dakota, USA. Water from these springs is supersaturated with nitrogen gas, which can be problematic if the spring water is used for fish rearing. This study recorded gas levels over 15 months from a spring at McNenny State Fish Hatchery, South Dakota USA. Mean (SE) percent nitrogen saturation was 114.0 (0.4) and ranged from 108.9 to 119.1%. Total gas pressure was never below 100%, and mean oxygen saturation was 79.2%. Both percent nitrogen saturation and total gas pressure significantly decreased over the course of the study. Conversely, oxygen saturation significantly increased during the study period. Rapid aquifer recharge is likely responsible for the fluctuations in nitrogen gas saturation in the spring water. This study highlights that nitrogen saturation and total gas pressure are not static and underscores the significance of nitrogen gas supersaturation monitoring in spring water used in aquaculture.
Keywords: karst formation, spring, fish hatchery, gas saturation, nitrogen supersaturation
©2025 Wagner, et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and build upon your work non-commercially.