Kansas StreamLink
...a watershed exploration
StreamLink Participant
Broken Arrow Elementary
Naismith Creek

Date: September 16, 2003
Time: 12:50 PM
HUC8: 10270104

Visual Assessment

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

Major Land Uses in the watershed:
Parking lots, paved driveways, roads; Golf courses, manicured lawns, or city parks; Construction

Trash at the Creek:
Old Tires; Bottles & cans; Plastic Bags; Candy Wrappers
Animals at the Creek: Frogs, Snakes, Birds
Animals in the Creek: Fish, Water Snakes, Water Striders, Tadpoles

Stream Bank Cover (1 is the least, 10 is the greatest):
Left Bank:
Grasses and Forbs (8), Woody Shrubs/Small Trees (8), Big Trees (7), Bedrock (0),
Bare Soil or Sand (7), Exposed Roots (8), Big Rocks/Rip Rap (0), Concrete (1), Lawn (1), Other (0)
Right Bank: Grasses and Forbs (6), Woody Shrubs/Small Trees (10), Big Trees (5), Bedrock (0),
Bare Soil or Sand (9), Exposed Roots (10), Big Rocks/Rip Rap (0), Concrete (0), Lawn (0), Other (0

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

Habitat Types: Pools, Runs
Shape of the Channel: Narrow 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: Grass clippings

Is the creek in the sunshine or shade?:
Shade

What type of algae are present?:

Algae Present: Algae in spots; Algae everywhere
Type of Algae: Brown coat of algae on rocks;

Conditions in your stream: Yellow-brown to dark brown water; 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 (8), Silt (1), Sand (4), Gravel (4), Cobbles (1), Boulders (0), Bedrock (0), Cement Platform (2), Plant Matter (0), Other: Clay (9)


Chemical Assessment

Temperature: 20 C
Dissolved Oxygen:
6 ppm
Percent Oxygen Saturation: 66%
Nitrate:
>5 ppm
Phosphate:
3 ppm
pH:
8
Turbidity: 20 JTU
Total Coliforms:
Positive
Biological Oxygen Demand: N/A
Stream Flow: N/A


Macroinvertebrate Assessment

Sensitive Species: None
Somewhat Sensitive Species: None
Tolerant Species: Midge Larvae, Pouch Snails

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

Water Quality Determination (as calculated from number of species present): 2
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.