Kansas StreamLink
...a watershed exploration
StreamLink Collaborator
Smith Center Jr./Sr. High School
Beaver Creek

Date: April 20, 2002
Time: 10:00 AM
GPS Coordinates: 39° 45.056', W 98° 51.092'
Elevation: 1633 ft

Visual Assessment

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

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

Trash at the Creek:
Barbed wire, tractors, Broken glass, cans, Railroad Iron
Animals at the Creek: Deer, Turkey
Animals in the Creek: Fish, Water Striders

Stream Bank Cover (1 is the least, 8 is the greatest):
Left Bank:
Concrete (1), Big rocks/rip rap (1), Bare soil or sand (3), Grasses (7), Woody shrubs/small trees (7), Big trees (4), Lawn (0)
Right Bank: Concrete (1), Big rocks/rip rap (2), Bare soil or sand (3), Grasses (7), Woody shrubs/small trees (7), Big trees (5), Lawn (0)

Stream Bank Conditions:
Left Bank:
Undercut
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:
Sticks or twigs; Fallen leaves
Human Impact: None

Is the creek in the sunshine or shade?:
Shade

What type of algae are present?:

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

Conditions in your stream: Yellow-brown to dark brown water (almost clear)

Embeddedness (How much silt is around the rocks, 1 is the least, 4 is the greatest): 2
Content of the Stream Bed (1 is the least, 5 is the greatest): Mud (2), Silt (2), Sand (2), Gravel (2), Cobbles (3), Boulders (1), Bedrock (2), Cement platform (1)



Chemical Assessment

Temperature: 17 C
Dissolved Oxygen:
4 ppm
Percent Oxygen Saturation: 42%
Nitrate:
5 ppm
Phosphate:
1 ppm
pH:
8
Turbidity: 40 JTU
Total Coliforms:
Positive
Biological Oxygen Demand: 2 ppm
Stream Flow: 0.38 m/s


Macroinvertebrate Assessment

Sensitive Species: Caddisfly Larvae, Hellgrammite
Somewhat Sensitive Species: Clams, Crane Fly Larvae, Crayfish, Damselfly Nymphs, Dragonfly Nymphs

Tolerant Species: Midge Larvae, 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): 18
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.