Kansas StreamLink
...a watershed exploration
StreamLink Collaborator
Chase County High School
Cottonwood River Tributary

Date: September 19, 2001
Time: 9:00 AM

Visual Assessment

Weather in the past 24 hours:
Storm, Rain, Showers, Overcast
Weather Today: Clear/Sunny, Ground Fog

Major Land Uses in the watershed:
Active grazing land &/or feedlots; Riparian Woodland

Trash at the Creek:
Barbed wire, tractors, Broken glass, cans
Animals at the Creek: Frogs, Raccoons, Deer, Snakes, Horses
Animals in the Creek: Fish, Water Striders, Whirly Gig Beetles, Diving Beetles

Stream Bank Cover (1 is the least, 8 is the greatest):
Left Bank:
Concrete (0), Big rocks/rip rap (4), Bare soil or sand (7), Grasses (2), Woody shrubs/small trees (8), Big trees (6), Lawn (0)
Right Bank: Concrete (0), Big rocks/rip rap (3), Bare soil or sand (8), Grasses (2), Woody shrubs/small trees (8), Big trees (6), Lawn (0)

Stream Bank Conditions:
Left Bank:
Steeply Sloping
Right Bank:
Gentle Slope

Habitat Types: Pools, Riffles, Runs
Shape of the Channel: Narrow Banks (<6 feet), Shallow Water (<3 feet), Deep Banks (>3 feet)

What's in the water?:
Naturally Occurring:
Large branches or logs; Sticks or twigs; Fallen leaves
Human Impact: None

Is the creek in the sunshine or shade?:
Shade

What type of algae are present?:

Algae Present: Algae everywhere
Type of Algae: Brown coat of algae on rocks; Algae matted on rocks; Hairy Algae

Conditions in your stream: No unusual color

Embeddedness (How much silt is around the rocks, 1 is the least, 4 is the greatest): 2, 4 in pools
Content of the Stream Bed (1 is the least, 5 is the greatest): Mud (4), Silt (4), Sand (2), Gravel (4), Cobbles (3), Boulders (1), Bedrock (1), Cement platform (0)



Chemical Assessment

Temperature: 19 C
Dissolved Oxygen:
4 ppm
Percent Oxygen Saturation: N/A
Nitrate:
<5 ppm
Phosphate:
2 ppm
pH:
8
Turbidity: 0 JTU
Total Coliforms:
N/A
Biological Oxygen Demand: N/A
Stream Flow: N/A


Macroinvertebrate Assessment

Sensitive Species: None
Somewhat Sensitive Species: Beetle Larvae, Crane Fly Larvae, Crayfish, Dragonfly Nymphs
Tolerant Species: Pouch Snail

How many times did your group sample with the kick net?: 2

Water Quality Determination (as calculated from number of species present): 9
Scale: Excellent (>22), Good (17-22), Fair (11-16), Poor (<11)

StreamLink Collaborators are in no way conducting professional water quality sampling. The information gathered is for educational purposes only. Students across Kansas share their creek experiences via the internet. If you have concerns about your water, please contact your local drinking water supplier or the KS Dept. of Health & Environment.