Kansas StreamLink
...a watershed exploration
StreamLink Collaborator
Spring Hill Middle School
Little Bull Creek

Date: February 25, 2004
Time: 3:08 pm
HUC8: 10290102

Visual Assessment

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

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

Trash at the Creek:
Old Tires; Barbed Wire, Lawn Mower; Bottles & cans; Plastic Bags; Candy Wrappers; Axle
Animals at the Creek: Beavers, Raccoons, Birds, Deer, Mole
Animals in the Creek:

Stream Bank Cover (1 is the least, 10 is the greatest):
Left Bank:
Grasses and Forbs (2), Woody Shrubs/Small Trees (4), Big Trees (1), Bedrock (0),
Bare Soil or Sand (2), Exposed Roots (1), Big Rocks/Rip Rap (0), Concrete (0), Lawn (0), Other (0)
Right Bank: Grasses and Forbs (2), Woody Shrubs/Small Trees (4), Big Trees (1), Bedrock (0),
Bare Soil or Sand (2), Exposed Roots (1), Big Rocks/Rip Rap (0), Concrete (0), Lawn (0), Other (0

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

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?:
Mostly Shade

What type of algae are present?:

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

Conditions in your stream: No unusual color; Foam;

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 (1), Silt (1), Sand (1), Gravel (3), Cobbles (2), Boulders (1), Bedrock (0), Cement Platform (0), Plant Matter (1), Other (0)


Chemical Assessment

Temperature: 8 C
Dissolved Oxygen:
4 ppm
Percent Oxygen Saturation: 34%
Nitrate:
<1 ppm
Phosphate:
0.5 ppm
pH:
8
Turbidity: 17.5 JTU

Stream Flow: 1 m/s


Macroinvertebrate Assessment

Sensitive Species: Caddisfly Larvae, Mayfly Nymphs
Somewhat Sensitive Species: Sowbug
Tolerant Species: Aquatic Worms, Blackfly Larvae, Leeches

Water Quality Determination (as calculated from number of species present): 11
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.