Kansas StreamLink
...a watershed exploration
StreamLink Collaborator
Weskan Jr. High School
Willow Creek

Date: December 4, 2001
Time: 11:20 AM
GPS Coordinates: 38° 56.411', W 101° 57.786'

Visual Assessment

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

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

Trash at the Creek:
Old tires, Barbed wire, tractors, Fishing line and lures, Broken glass, cans
Animals at the Creek: Frogs, Cows, Raccoons, Deer
Animals in the Creek: Fish

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

Stream Bank Conditions:
Left Bank:
Steeply Sloping
Right Bank: N/A

Habitat Types: Pools
Shape of the Channel: Wide Banks (> 6 feet), Deep Water (> 3 feet), Shallow Banks (< 3 feet)

What's in the water?:
Naturally Occurring:
Large branches, logs, sticks, 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: Brown coat of algae on rocks; Hairy Algae

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 (4), Silt (5), Sand (2), Gravel (0), Cobbles (0), Boulders (0), Bedrock (0), Cement platform (0)



Chemical Assessment

Temperature: 9 C
Dissolved Oxygen:
8 ppm
Percent Oxygen Saturation: 68%
Nitrate:
0 ppm
Phosphate:
2 ppm
pH:
8
Turbidity: 0 JTU
Total Coliforms:
Positive
Biological Oxygen Demand: 6 ppm
Stream Flow: 0.1 m/s


Macroinvertebrate Assessment

Sensitive Species: None
Somewhat Sensitive Species: None
Tolerant Species: Aquatic Worms

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

Water Quality Determination (as calculated from number of species present): 1
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.