Kansas StreamLink
...a watershed exploration
StreamLink Collaborator
Sunflower Elementary
Bull Creek

Date: 5/15/03
Time: 8:30-11:00 a.m.

Visual Assessment

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

Major Land Uses in the watershed:
Parking lots, paved driveways, roads; Golf courses, manicured lawns, or city parks; Cropland; Active grazing land &/or feedlots; Construction; Other

Trash at the Creek:
Broken glass, cans, cups
Animals at the Creek: Frogs, Snakes, Birds
Animals in the Creek: Water Boatmen or Back Swimmers, Tadpoles

Stream Bank Cover (1 is the least, 8 is the greatest):
Left Bank:
Concrete (4), Big rocks/rip rap (7), Bare soil or sand (3), Grasses (6), Woody shrubs/small trees (5), Big trees (8), Lawn (0)
Right Bank: Concrete (-), Big rocks/rip rap (8), Bare soil or sand (-), Grasses (6), Woody shrubs/small trees (5), Big trees (-), Lawn (2)

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

Habitat Types: Pools, Riffles, and Runs
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,twigs
Human Impact: none

Is the creek in the sunshine or shade?:
Shade/Sun

What type of algae are present?:

Algae Present: Algae in spots
Type of Algae: Algae matted 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): 4
Content of the Stream Bed (1 is the least, 5 is the greatest): Mud (-), Silt (-), Sand (-), Gravel (-), Cobbles (+), Boulders (-), Bedrock (-), Cement platform (-)



Chemical Assessment

Temperature: 26 C
Dissolved Oxygen:
4 ppm
Percent Oxygen Saturation: 49%
Nitrate:
5 ppm
Phosphate:
2 ppm
pH:
8
Turbidity: 0 JTU
Total Coliforms:
N/A
Biological Oxygen Demand: N/A
Stream Flow: N/A


Macroinvertebrate Assessment

Sensitive Species: None
Somewhat Sensitive Species: Crayfish, Sowbug
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): 6
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.