Kansas StreamLink
...a watershed exploration
StreamLink Participant
Emporia High School
Neosho High School

Date: December 6, 2001
Time: 1:30 p.m.
HUC8: 11070201

Visual Assessment

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

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

Trash at the Creek:
Fishing line and lures, Broken glass, cans
Animals at the Creek: Frogs, Deer
Animals in the Creek: Fish, Water Boatmen or Back Swimmers

Stream Bank Cover (1 is the least, 8 is the greatest):
Left Bank:
Concrete (4), Big rocks/rip rap (5), Bare soil or sand (8), Grasses (7), Woody shrubs/small trees (6), Big trees (-), Lawn (-)
Right Bank: Concrete (4), Big rocks/rip rap (5), Bare soil or sand (8), Grasses (7), Woody shrubs/small trees (6), Big trees (-), Lawn (-)

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

Habitat Types: Riffles
Shape of the Channel: Narrow Banks ( < 6 feet), Shallow Water (< 3 feet), Shallow Banks (< 3 feet)

What's in the water?:
Naturally Occurring:
Large branches or logs; Sticks or twigs; Fallen leaves
Human Impact: Yes

Is the creek in the sunshine or shade?:
Sunshine

What type of algae are present?:

Algae Present: Algae in spots
Type of Algae: Algae matted on rocks; Hairy Algae

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 (1), Sand (-), Gravel (5), Cobbles (4), Boulders (2), Bedrock (-), Cement platform (-)


Chemical Assessment

Temperature: 6.5 C
Dissolved Oxygen:
4 ppm
Percent Oxygen Saturation: 32%
Nitrate:
5 ppm
Phosphate:
1 ppm
pH:
8
Turbidity: 40 JTU
Total Coliforms:
Positive
Biological Oxygen Demand: Did not complete
Stream Flow: 0.1 m/s


Macroinvertebrate Assessment

Sensitive Species: Caddisfly Larvae, Hellgrammite, Mayfly Nymphs, Gilled Snails, Riffle Beetle Adult
Somewhat Sensitive Species: Beetle Larvae, Clams, Crane Fly Larvae
Tolerant Species: Aquatic Worms, Blackfly 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): 24
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.