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

Date: April 25, 2002
Time: 2:00 PM
GPS Coordinates: 39° 04.449', W 96° 54.209'
Elevation: 1122 ft

Visual Assessment

Weather in the past 24 hours:
Showers (intermittent rain); Overcast
Weather Today: Clear/Sunny

Major Land Uses in the watershed:
Cropland; Other: Tall Grass Prairie Preserve & Riparian/Gallery Forest

Trash at the Creek:
Pop Bottle
Animals at the Creek: Frogs, Crows
Animals in the Creek: Fish, Water Striders

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

Right Bank: Concrete (0), Big rocks/rip rap (3), Bare soil or sand (0), Grasses (2), Woody shrubs/small trees (6), Big trees (6), Lawn (0), Other:gravel (6)

Stream Bank Conditions:
Left Bank:
Gentle Slope
Right Bank: N/A

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

What's in the water?:
Naturally Occurring:
N/A
Human Impact: N/A

Is the creek in the sunshine or shade?:
Sun

What type of algae are present?:

Algae Present: Algae present
Type of Algae: 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): N/A
Content of the Stream Bed (1 is the least, 5 is the greatest): N/A



Chemical Assessment

Temperature: 18 C
Dissolved Oxygen:
6 ppm
Percent Oxygen Saturation: 63%
Nitrate:
40 ppm
Phosphate:
>4 ppm
pH:
8.5
Turbidity: 0 JTU
Total Coliforms:
Positive
Biological Oxygen Demand: 2 ppm
Stream Flow: 0.03 m/s


Macroinvertebrate Assessment

Sensitive Species: Mayfly Nymphs (8), Stonefly Nymphs (2)
Somewhat Sensitive Species: Beetle Larvae
Tolerant Species: Blackfly Larvae (1), Midge Larvae (13), Pouch Snails (1)

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)

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.