Kansas StreamLink
...a watershed exploration
StreamLink Collaborator
Royster Middle School
Neosho River

Date: October 16, 2002
Time: 4:00 PM
HUC8: 1107024

Visual Assessment

Weather in the past 24 hours:
N/A
Weather Today: Showers (mist)

Major Land Uses in the watershed:
Rural homes with septic systems; Cropland; Active grazing land &/or feedlots; Landfills

Trash at the Creek:
Bottles & cans
Animals at the Creek: Frogs, Beavers, Raccoons, Birds, Deer
Animals in the Creek: Fish, Frogs, Water Striders, Whirly Gig Beetles, Mussels

Stream Bank Cover (1 is the least, 10 is the greatest):
Left Bank:
Grasses and Forbs (5), Woody Shrubs/Small Trees (5), Big Trees (7), Bedrock (9),
Bare Soil or Sand (2), Exposed Roots (3), Big Rocks/Rip Rap (6), Concrete (2), Lawn (0), Other (2)
Right Bank: Grasses and Forbs (6), Woody Shrubs/Small Trees (3), Big Trees (3), Bedrock (6),
Bare Soil or Sand (7), Exposed Roots (1), Big Rocks/Rip Rap (8), Concrete (2), Lawn (0), Other (8)

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

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:
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: Algae everywhere
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
Content of the Stream Bed (1 is the least, 5 is the greatest): Mud (3), Silt (1), Sand (4), Gravel (9), Cobbles (7), Boulders (3), Bedrock (5), Cement Platform (1), Plant Matter (1), Other (0)


Chemical Assessment

Temperature: 11 C
Dissolved Oxygen:
4 ppm
Percent Oxygen Saturation: 25%
Nitrate:
2 ppm
Phosphate:
2 ppm
pH:
8
Turbidity: 40 JTU
Total Coliforms:
N/A
Biological Oxygen Demand: 2 ppm
Stream Flow: 1 m/s


Macroinvertebrate Assessment

Sensitive Species: Gilled Snails
Somewhat Sensitive Species: Clams, Scud
Tolerant Species: Midge Larvae

How many times did your group sample with the kick net?: 2

Water Quality Determination (as calculated from number of species present): 8
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.