Date: April 26, 2002
Time: 12:45 PM

Visual Assessment
There were some pop cans and even a box that had held pop all around where people had had a picnic - not many beer cans so that was good. There were also a few styrofoam containers in and near the river. There were some broken bottles and broken glass and a few plastic bag remains along and in the river. The water is pretty clear and it's a beautiful little stream running through the edge of El Dorado. I just wish people would pick up their trash! - Helen Bullock

Weather in the past 24 hours: Showers, Overcast, Clear/Sunny
Weather Today: Showers, Overcast

Major Land Uses in the watershed: Parking lots, paved driveways, roads; Rural homes with septic systems; Industrial discharge; Cropland; Active grazing land &/or feedlots;

Trash at the Creek: Broken glass, cans
Animals at the Creek: N/A
Animals in the Creek: Water Striders

Stream Bank Cover (1 is the least, 8 is the greatest):
Left Bank: Concrete (2), Big rocks/rip rap (0), Bare soil or sand (0), Grasses (6), Woody shrubs/small trees (7), Big trees (7), Lawn (0); Other:Road (+) & Small Dam Upstream (+)
Right Bank: Concrete (0), Big rocks/rip rap (7), Bare soil or sand (0), Grasses (6), Woody shrubs/small trees (7), Big trees (7), Lawn (0); Other:Road (+) & Small Dam Upstream (+)

Stream Bank Conditions:
Left Bank: Steeply Sloping
Right Bank: N/A

Habitat Types: Pools, Riffles
Shape of the Channel: Wide 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: Observed

Is the creek in the sunshine or shade?: Shade

What type of algae are present?:
Algae Present: Algae in spots
Type of Algae: Brown coat of algae on rocks; Hairy Algae

Conditions in your stream: Yellow-brown to dark brown water

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


Chemical Assessment

Temperature: 18 C
Dissolved Oxygen: 4 ppm
Percent Oxygen Saturation: 42%
Nitrate: 2.5 ppm
Phosphate: 2 ppm
pH: 8
Turbidity: 40 JTU
Total Coliforms: Positive
Biological Oxygen Demand: 2 ppm
Stream Flow: 0.30 m/s

Macroinvertebrate Assessment

Sensitive Species: Riffle Beetle Adult (8)
Somewhat Sensitive Species: Beetle Larvae (5), Clams, Scud (3), Alderfly Larvae (2)
Tolerant Species: None Observed

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

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