Kansas StreamLink
...a watershed exploration
StreamLink Collaborator
KSU - Elementary Science Methods
Campus Creek

Date: December 4, 2001
Time: 1:30 PM
GPS Coordinates: 39° 11.515', W 96° 34.707'

Visual Assessment

Weather in the past 24 hours:
Clear/Sunny
Weather Today: Clear/Sunny

Major Land Uses in the watershed:
Parking lots, paved driveways, roads; Golf courses, manicured lawns, or city parks

Trash at the Creek:
Broken glass, cans, Other: Trash
Animals at the Creek: Squirrel
Animals in the Creek: N/A

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

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

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

What's in the water?:
Naturally Occurring:
Sticks or twigs; Fallen leaves
Human Impact: N/A

Is the creek in the sunshine or shade?:
Shade

What type of algae are present?:

Algae Present: Algae in spots
Type of Algae: Hairy Algae

Conditions in your stream: Yellow-brown to dark brown water; Orange to red coating on stream bed

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



Chemical Assessment

Temperature: 14 C
Dissolved Oxygen:
4 ppm
Percent Oxygen Saturation: 39%
Nitrate:
<5 ppm
Phosphate:
2 ppm
pH:
8
Turbidity: 90 JTU
Total Coliforms:
N/A
Biological Oxygen Demand: 2 ppm
Stream Flow: 0.05 m/s


Macroinvertebrate Assessment

Sensitive Species: None Observed
Somewhat Sensitive Species: Crane Fly Larvae (1), Sowbug (1)
Tolerant Species: Midge Larvae (12)

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

Water Quality Determination (as calculated from number of species present): 5
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.