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Aquatic Ecology I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Introduction In order to gain an understanding of th~ current physical and chemical characteristics of Trott Brook as well as collect base-line data, a limited sampling and analysis of water sampled at three sites along the brook was performed. The fIrst sampling site is located at the intersection of Trott Brook and Armstrong Blvd. This is the site furthest upstream. The second sampling site is located at the intersection of Trott Brook and Variolite Street and is considered the mid-stream sampling site. The last sampling site, the downstream site, is located at the intersection of Trott Brook and Highway 47. These sampling sites were chosen to be representative of the portion of Trott Brook that runs through the city of Ramsey. They should not be considered representative of the creek as a whole, nor are the values given representative of the year-round conditions of the stream. Sampling was conducted in September and October, 1996. They do provide valuable baseline data and will be most revealing when used in conjunction with a continued monitoring regime. The water was sampled using sterile, one liter Nalgene bottles. The sampled water was taken to the Limnology laboratory on the St. Paul campus of the University of Minnesota, where all measurements were performed. Standard analytical methods were used for all of the values listed below (Wetzel & Likens, 1991). The listed results are discussed individually concerning their importance to the biological health of the stream and their potential management implications. 2