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

Date: October 3, 2003
Time: 12:30 - 2:30

Visual Assessment

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

Major Land Uses in the watershed:
Parking lots, paved driveways, roads; Golf Courses, Manicured Lawns, or City Parks; Cropland; Construction

Trash at the Creek:
No Trash
Animals at the Creek: Frogs
Animals in the Creek: Frogs; Water Striders

Stream Bank Cover (1 is the least, 8 is the greatest):
Left Bank:
Grasses and Forbs (10), Woody Shrubs/Small Trees (3), Big Trees (10), Bedrock (1), Bare Soil or Sand (0), Exposed Roots (0), Big Rocks/Rip Rap (10), Concrete (1), Lawn (10) Other (0)
Right Bank: Grasses and Forbs (10), Woody Shrubs/Small Trees (7), Big Trees (2), Bedrock (1), Bare Soil or Sand (1), Exposed Roots (0), Big Rocks/Rip Rap (0), Concrete (4), Lawn (10)

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

Habitat Types: Pools 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; Fallen leaves
Human Impact: None

Is the creek in the sunshine or shade?:
Sunshine

What type of algae are present?:

Algae Present: N/A
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): 2
Content of the Stream Bed (1 is the least, 5 is the greatest): Mud (8), Silt (2), Sand (2), Gravel (10), Cobbles (9), Boulders (1), Bedrock (1), Cement Platform (0), Plant Matter (5)


Chemical Assessment

Temperature: 22 C
Dissolved Oxygen:
4 ppm
Percent Oxygen Saturation: 46%
Nitrate:
5 ppm
Phosphate:
1 ppm
pH:
6
Turbidity: 20 JTU
Total Coliforms:
N/A
Biological Oxygen Demand: N/A
Stream Flow: N/A


Macroinvertebrate Assessment

Sensitive Species: Mayfly Nymphs, Gilled Snails
Somewhat Sensitive Species: Crayfish
Tolerant Species: Pouch Snails

How many times did your group sample with the kick net?: 4 (sampled with kick net and collected leaf packs)

Water Quality Determination (as calculated from number of species present): 9
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.