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

Date: February 27, 2002
Time: 1:00-3:00 PM

Visual Assessment

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

Major Land Uses in the watershed:
Parking lots, paved driveways, roads; Rural homes with septic systems; Cropland; Active grazing land &/or feedlots

Trash at the Creek:
Broken glass, cans
Animals at the Creek: Frogs, Raccoon tracks, Deer tracks
Animals in the Creek: Whirly Gig Beetles, Spiders, Snails

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

Stream Bank Conditions:
Left Bank:
Steeply Sloping
Right Bank: Steeply Sloping

Habitat Types: N/A
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: Brown coat of algae on rocks

Conditions in your stream: Yellow-brown to dark brown water

Embeddedness (How much silt is around the rocks, 1 is the least, 4 is the greatest): 3
Content of the Stream Bed (1 is the least, 5 is the greatest): Mud (3), Silt (2), Sand (1), Gravel (3), Cobbles (1), Boulders (0), Bedrock (0), Cement platform (0)


Chemical Assessment

Temperature: N/A
Dissolved Oxygen:
4 ppm
Percent Oxygen Saturation: 34%
Nitrate:
0 ppm
Phosphate:
1 ppm
pH:
7.6
Turbidity: 0 JTU
Total Coliforms:
Positive
Biological Oxygen Demand: N/A
Stream Flow: N/A


Macroinvertebrate Assessment

Sensitive Species: Gilled Snail
Somewhat Sensitive Species: Dragonfly Nymphs
Tolerant Species: Blackfly Larvae, Midge Larvae, Pouch Snails, etc...

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

Water Quality Determination (as calculated from number of species present): 8
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.