Kansas StreamLink
...a watershed exploration
StreamLink Participant
Americus Elementary School
Allen Creek

Date: December 11, 2001
Time: 1:30 PM

Visual Assessment

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

Major Land Uses in the watershed: Roads &/or Parking Lots; Rural Homes with Septic Systems; Cropland; Active Grazing &/or Feedlots

Trash at the Creek:
Barbed Wire, Tractors
Animals at the Creek: Frogs, Raccoons (tracks), Deer (tracks)
Animals in the Creek: Fish

Stream Bank Cover (1 is the least, 8 is the greatest):
Left Bank:
Grasses (6), Bare Soil (2), Shrubs/Small Trees (1)
Right Bank: Grasses (2), Bare Soil (2), Shrubs/Small Trees (2), Big Trees (3)

Stream Bank Conditions:
Left Bank:
Steep slope
Right Bank:
Steep slope

Habitat Types:
Pools, Riffles, Runs
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?:
Shade

What type of algae are present?:
Algae Present:
Algae in spots
Type of Algae: Hairy Algae

Conditions in your stream: Greenish colored water, Yellow-Brown to dark brown water

Embededness (on a scale of 1-4):
4
Content of the Stream Bed (1 is the least, 5 is the greatest):
Gravel (1), Silt (3), Mud (2),
Bedrock (1)


Chemical Assessment

Temperature: N/A
Dissolved Oxygen:
4 ppm
Percent Oxygen Saturation: N/A
Nitrate:
0 ppm
Phosphate:
1 ppm
pH:
7.3
Turbidity:
0 JTU
Total Coliforms:
Positive
Biological Oxygen Demand: N/A
Stream Flow: 0.33 m/s

Macroinvertebrate Assessment

Sensitive Species: Hellgrammite, Mayfly Nymphs, Stonefly Nymphs
Somewhat Sensitive Species: Clams, Crayfish
Tolerant Species: Aquatic Worms, Midge Larvae, Pouch Snails

How many times did your group sample with the kick net?: 3

Water Quality Determination (as calculated from number of species present): 16
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.