Kansas StreamLink
...a watershed exploration
StreamLink Collaborator
Riley County High School
Wildcat Creek

Date: May 2, 202
Time: 1:39 PM
GPS Coordinates: 39° 13.130', W 96° 42.641'
Elevation: 1173 ft

Visual Assessment

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

Major Land Uses in the watershed:
Parking lots, paved driveways, roads; Rural homes with septic systems; Cropland; Active grazing land &/or feedlots

Trash at the Creek:
Old tires, Broken glass, cans
Animals at the Creek: Frogs
Animals in the Creek: Fish, Water Striders, Whirly Gig Beetles

Stream Bank Cover (1 is the least, 8 is the greatest):
Left Bank:
Concrete (3), Big rocks/rip rap (2), Bare soil or sand (8), Grasses (7), Woody shrubs/small trees (3), Big trees (4), Lawn (0)
Right Bank: Concrete (3), Big rocks/rip rap (6), Bare soil or sand (3), Grasses (4), Woody shrubs/small trees (3), Big trees (4), Lawn (0)

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

Habitat Types: Pools, Riffles, Runs
Shape of the Channel: Narrow 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: N/A

Is the creek in the sunshine or shade?:
Sun

What type of algae are present?:

Algae Present: Algae Present
Type of Algae: Brown coat of algae on rocks; Algae matted on rocks

Conditions in your stream: Greenish colored water; White cottony masses

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 (3), Silt (5), Sand (0), Gravel (4), Cobbles (3), Boulders (1), Bedrock (0), Cement platform (0)



Chemical Assessment

Temperature: N/A
Dissolved Oxygen:
3 ppm
Percent Oxygen Saturation: N/A
Nitrate:
5 ppm
Phosphate:
1 ppm
pH:
8
Turbidity: 0 JTU
Total Coliforms: N/A

Biological Oxygen Demand: N/A
Stream Flow: N/A


Macroinvertebrate Assessment

Sensitive Species: Helgrammite (3), Mayfly Nymphs (4), Riffle Beetle Adult (1), Stonefly Nymphs (6)
Somewhat Sensitive Species: Clams (1), Crayfish (2)
Tolerant Species: Aquatic Worms (100+), Leeches (3), Pouch Snails (1)

How many times did your group sample with the kick net?: 3

Water Quality Determination (as calculated from number of species present): 19
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.