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

Date: November 12, 2003
Time: 2:00 pm

Visual Assessment

Weather in the past 24 hours:
Showers (intermittent rain)
Weather Today: Clear/Sunny

Major Land Uses in the watershed:
Parking lots, Cropland

Trash at the Creek:
Fishing Line& Lures, Bottles & cans; Plastic Bags; Candy Wrappers
Animals at the Creek: Frogs, Raccoons, Birds, Deer, Cows
Animals in the Creek: Fish, Frogs, Water Striders

Stream Bank Cover (1 is the least, 10 is the greatest):
Left Bank:
Grasses and Forbs (8), Woody Shrubs/Small Trees (10), Big Trees (9), Bedrock (0), Bare Soil or Sand (7), Exposed Roots (0), Big Rocks/Rip Rap (6), Concrete (5), Lawn (0)
Right Bank: Grasses and Forbs (7), Woody Shrubs/Small Trees (9), Big Trees (8), Bedrock (0), Bare Soil or Sand (10), Exposed Roots (4), Big Rocks/Rip Rap (6), Concrete (5), Lawn (0)

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

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, logs, sticks, twigs, and fallen leaves
Human Impact: None

Is the creek in the sunshine or shade?:
Sun

What type of algae are present?:

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

Conditions in your stream: Muddy water; Greenish colored water; Yellow-brown to dark brown water; Multi-colored sheen on water or oily smell

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 (7), Silt (6), Sand (10), Gravel (9), Cobbles (8), Boulders (5), Bedrock (0), Cement Platform (3), Plant Matter (4)


Chemical Assessment

Temperature: 10 C
Dissolved Oxygen:
4 ppm
Percent Oxygen Saturation: 35%
Nitrate:
0 ppm
Phosphate: 1
ppm
pH:
8
Turbidity: 20 JTU
Total Coliforms:
positive
Biological Oxygen Demand: did not complete
Stream Flow: 0.2 m/s


Macroinvertebrate Assessment

Sensitive Species: Caddisfly Larvae, Mayfly Nymphs
Somewhat Sensitive Species: Clams, Damselfly Nymphs, Dragonfly Nymphs, Scud
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): 17
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.