Kansas StreamLink
...a watershed exploration
StreamLink Collaborator
Manhattan High School
Kings Creek

Date: December 6, 2001
Time: 10:56 AM
GPS Coordinates: 39° 11.940', W 96° 25.025'
Elevation: 1136 ft

Visual Assessment

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

Major Land Uses in the watershed:
Konza Prarie- Prarie and some crops

Trash at the Creek:
Plastic bottle
Animals at the Creek: None
Animals in the Creek: 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 (1), Grasses (5), Woody shrubs/small trees (5), Big trees (2), Lawn (0) Other (5)
Right Bank: Concrete (0), Big rocks/rip rap (3), Bare soil or sand (2), Grasses (5), Woody shrubs/small trees (5), Big trees (2), Lawn (0) Other (5)

Stream Bank Conditions:
Left Bank:
Undercut
Right Bank: N/A

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

What's in the water?:
Naturally Occurring:
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 coat of algae on rocks

Conditions in your stream: No unusual color

Embeddedness (How much silt is around the rocks, 1 is the least, 4 is the greatest): 3 & 4
Content of the Stream Bed (1 is the least, 5 is the greatest): Mud (0), Silt (3), Sand (1), Gravel (3), Cobbles (4), Boulders (5), Bedrock (0), Cement platform (0)
Decaying leaves (3.5)


Chemical Assessment

Temperature: 8 C
Dissolved Oxygen:
8 ppm
Percent Oxygen Saturation: 68%
Nitrate:
0 ppm
Phosphate:
4 ppm
pH:
8
Turbidity: 0 JTU
Total Coliforms:
Positive
Biological Oxygen Demand: 4 ppm
Stream Flow: 0.11 m/s


Macroinvertebrate Assessment

Sensitive Species: Mayfly Nymphs, Stonefly Nymphs
Somewhat Sensitive Species: Beetle Larvae
Tolerant Species: Midge Larvae

How many times did your group sample with the kick net?: 1

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.