Kansas StreamLink
...a watershed exploration
StreamLink Collaborator
Northern Hills Junior High School
Indian Creek

Date: April 22, 2002
Time: 1:00-3:00 PM

Visual Assessment

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

Major Land Uses in the watershed:
Parking lots, paved driveways, roads; Golf courses, manicured lawns, or city parks; Rural homes with septic systems; Cropland; Other: Northern Hills Jr. High 1/4 mile west.

Trash at the Creek:
Old tires; Broken glass, cans; Paper
Animals at the Creek: Frogs, Raccoons, Deer, Snakes
Animals in the Creek: Fish, Water Striders, Whirly Gig Beetles, Water Boatmen or Back Swimmers, Water Snakes, Crayfish

Stream Bank Cover (1 is the least, 8 is the greatest):
Left Bank:
Concrete (0), Big rocks/rip rap (7), Bare soil or sand (4), Grasses (5), Woody shrubs/small trees (5), Big trees (6), Lawn (0)
Right Bank: Concrete (0), Big rocks/rip rap (7), Bare soil or sand (4), Grasses (5), Woody shrubs/small trees (6), Big trees (6), Lawn (1)

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

Habitat Types: N/A
Shape of the Channel: Wide Banks (>6 feet), Shallow Water (<3 feet)

What's in the water?:
Naturally Occurring:
Large branches or logs; Sticks or twigs
Human Impact: None

Is the creek in the sunshine or shade?:
N/A

What type of algae are present?:

Algae Present: Algae in spots
Type of Algae: Brown coat of algae on rocks

Conditions in your stream: Muddy water; Foam

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 (0), Sand (1), Gravel (2), Cobbles (3), Boulders (2), Bedrock (4), Cement platform (1)



Chemical Assessment

Temperature: 16 C
Dissolved Oxygen:
6ppm
Percent Oxygen Saturation: 61%
Nitrate:
<5 ppm
Phosphate:
2 ppm
pH:
9
Turbidity: 40 JTU
Total Coliforms:
Positive
Biological Oxygen Demand: 3 ppm
Stream Flow: 1.6 m/s


Macroinvertebrate Assessment
Sensitive Species:
Hellgrammite (1), Mayfly Nymphs (several)
Somewhat Sensitive Species: Beetle Larvae (6), Crayfish (12-15), Dragonfly Nymphs (12), Sowbug (2)
Tolerant Species: Leeches, Pouch Snails

How many times did your group sample with the kick net?: N/A

Water Quality Determination (as calculated from number of species present): 16
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.