Kansas StreamLink
...a watershed exploration
StreamLink Participant
Kensington High School
North Solomon River

Date: December 5, 2001
Time: 2:45

Visual Assessment

Weather in the past 24 hours:
Overcast with showers
Weather Today: Clear/Sunny

Major Land Uses in the watershed:
Cropland; CRP Ground

Trash at the Creek
Broken glass, cans
Animals at the Creek: Raccoons, Deer, Ducks, Rabbits
Animals in the Creek: Fish

Stream Bank Cover (1 is the least, 8 is the greatest):
Left Bank:
Concrete (3), Big rocks/rip rap (3), Bare soil or sand (4), Grasses (8), Woody shrubs/small trees (2), Big trees (2), Lawn (0)
Right Bank: Concrete (2), Big rocks/rip rap (3), Bare soil or sand (5), Grasses (8), Woody shrubs/small trees (3), Big trees (4), Lawn (0)

Stream Bank Conditions:
Left Bank:
Undercut
Right Bank:
Undercut

Habitat Types: Pools, Riffles, Runs
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: None

Is the creek in the sunshine or shade?:
Sun

What type of algae are present?:

Algae Present: Yes
Type of Algae: Brown and greencoat of algae on rocks

Conditions in your stream: Light Greenish colored water; No unusual color

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 (0), Silt (5), Sand (0), Gravel (2), Cobbles (4), Boulders (3), Bedrock (0), Cement platform (2)


Chemical Assessment

Temperature: 10 C
Dissolved Oxygen:
4 ppm
Percent Oxygen Saturation: 35%
Nitrate:
<5 ppm
Phosphate:
2 ppm
pH:
7.5
Turbidity: 20 JTU
Total Coliforms:
Positive
Biological Oxygen Demand: 4 ppm
Stream Flow: 10 m/s


Macroinvertebrate Assessment

Sensitive Species: Hellgrammite, Gilled Snails
Somewhat Sensitive Species: Clams, Crayfish
Tolerant Species: Pouch Snails

How many times did your group sample with the kick net?: not available

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

StreamLink Participants 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.