Kansas StreamLink
...a watershed exploration
StreamLink Participant
Valley Center Middle School
Little Arkansas River

Date: May 3, 2005
Time: (composite)
HUC8: 10270103050060

Visual Assessment

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

Major Land Uses in the watershed:
Rural homes with septic systems; Cropland, construction

Trash at the Creek:
none
Animals at the Creek: beavers, birds
Animals in the Creek: Fish, water boatman

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

Stream Bank Conditions:
Left Bank:
Gentle slopes, very resistant to eriosion but provide little habitat
Right Bank: undercut banks, resistant to erosion and provide good habitat
Habitat Types: Pools, runs, riffles
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
Human Impact:

Is the creek in the sunshine or 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, multi-colored sheen on water or oily smell

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, 10 is the greatest): Mud (2), Silt (4), Sand (10), Gravel (0), Cobbles (0), Boulders (0), Bedrock (0), Cement Platform (0), plant matter (1)


Chemical Assessment

Temperature: 22 C
Dissolved Oxygen:
5 ppm
Percent Oxygen Saturation: 48%
Nitrate:
<5 ppm
Phosphate:
2. ppm
pH:
8
Turbidity: N/A
Total Coliforms:
N/A
Biological Oxygen Demand: N/A
Stream Flow: N/A


Macroinvertebrate Assessment

Sensitive Species: Caddisfly Larvae, Mayfly Nymphs
Somewhat Sensitive Species: Beetle Larvae, Crayfish, Damselfly Nymphs, Dragonfly Nymphs, Crane Fly Larvae
Tolerant Species: Aquatic worms, Midge Larvae

How many times did your group sample with the kick net?: N/A

Water Quality Determination (as calculated from number of species present): 17
Scale: Excellent (>22), Good (17-22), Fair (11-16), Poor (<11)

StreamLink Participants 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.