Runoff is defined as the excess water that the soil does not absorb after a storm. On its way downstream, the runoff picks up various particles, such as pesticides and nutrients, from the surrounding area and moves them into nearby bodies of water. Some nutrients carried by runoff include: nitrate, ammonium, and phosphate; all of which are found in golf course turf fertilizer (experiment). When these excess chemicals enter the water, they create an imbalance in the ecosystem. This imbalance can be harmful to inhabitants both in and around the body of water. Affected people in the water may experience decreased levels of dissolved oxygen, making it more difficult for animals to breathe. Acidity levels in the water can increase, causing mutations or other physical damage to animals. Many animals inhabiting the earth consume their water and sometimes even food from nearby water bodies; such as lakes, streams, rivers and oceans. Intake of excessive amounts of chemicals would most likely cause animals to become seriously ill, or perhaps even die. If the chemicals themselves do not harm land-bound animals, the lack of aquatic animals to feed on will decrease, causing them to go hungry or force them to move to new habitats. (Thesis) Some golf courses in North Carolina participated in a surface water quality study that revealed the movement of fertilizers and pesticides (Ryals, Genter, & Leidy, 1998). Water samples were collected every two weeks. Ryals, Genter, and Leidy (1998), accounted for four pesticides (atrazine, chlorothalonil [Daconil®], chlorpyrifos [Dursban®], and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) and 2 nutrients (nitrogen and phosphate). A minimal impact on the surface waters of the courses was demonstrated by the data recovered from the study... in the center of the paper...c plants and algae (Perlman, 2013). The recommended level of phosphate (PO4) for a freshwater body is 0.1-1 mg/L (Bartenhagen, 2013). Ammonium (NH4) levels vary with temperature and freshwater pH levels (Bartenhagen, 2013) (DeBrosse,2013). With a healthy pH of 7 or 8, the corresponding ammonium level should be around 0.1-1 mg/l. Ammonium only exists in the atmosphere before turning to nitrate for about five to ten days by nitrification. Since healthy pH levels are between 7 and 8, extremes would make fresh water too acidic or too basic making it inhospitable to life (DeBrosse, 2013). Recommended dissolved oxygen (DO) levels in cold fresh water are between 6 and 8 mg/l. The temperature of the fresh water will vary depending on the outside air temperature. If all these characteristics are met, the water body will have reached its eutrophic state.