Kansas StreamLink
...a watershed exploration
StreamLink Collaborator
Riverton Middle School
Shawnee Creek

Date: December 15, 2001
Time: 4:30 p.m.
GPS Coordinates: N 37° 07.166', W 94° 41.086'
Elevation: 828 ft

Visual Assessment

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

Major Land Uses in the watershed:
Industrial discharge; Cropland

Trash at the Creek:
Broken glass, cans, paper
Animals at the Creek: Raccoons, Deer, Beavers
Animals in the Creek: None

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

Stream Bank Conditions:
Left Bank:
Steeply Sloping
Right Bank: Gentle Slope

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

What's in the water?:
Naturally Occurring:
Large branches or logs; Sticks or twigs; Fallen leaves
Human Impact: Yes

Is the creek in the sunshine or shade?:
Sunshine

What type of algae are present?:

Algae Present: Algae in spots
Type of Algae: Algae matted on rocks

Conditions in your stream: Muddy water; Yellow-brown to dark brown water; Foam

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



Chemical Assessment

Temperature: 8 C
Dissolved Oxygen:
4 ppm
Percent Oxygen Saturation: 32 %
Nitrate:
5 ppm
Phosphate:
1 ppm
pH:
7
Turbidity: 60 JTU
Total Coliforms:
Positive
Biological Oxygen Demand: 4 ppm
Stream Flow: 0.3 m/s


Macroinvertebrate Assessment

Sensitive Species: None
Somewhat Sensitive Species: Beetle Larvae
Tolerant Species: None

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

Water Quality Determination (as calculated from number of species present): 2
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.