Kansas StreamLink
...a watershed exploration
StreamLink Participant
Good Shepherd Lutheran Elem.
Neimen Creek

Date: March 27, 2003
Time: 2:15 - 3:30 pm
HUC8: 10270205

Visual Assessment

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

Major Land Uses in the watershed:
Rural homes with septic systems; Cropland; Active grazing land &/or feedlots

Trash at the Creek:
Leaves, Metal
Animals at the Creek: Frogs, Raccoon tracks, Deer, Dog Tracks
Animals in the Creek: Fish, Water Spider, Frogs, Crawdad

Stream Bank Cover (1 is the least, 8 is the greatest):
Left Bank:
Concrete (1), Big Rocks/Rip Rap (4), Bare Soil or Sand (2), Grasses (6), Woody Shrubs/Small Trees (6), Big Trees (8), Lawn (8)
Right Bank: Concrete (1), Big Rocks/Rip Rap (1), Bare Soil or Sand (1), Grasses (8), Woody Shrubs/Small Trees (6), Big Trees (7), Lawn (1)


Stream Bank Conditions:
Left Bank:
Undercut
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: N/A

Is the creek in the sunshine or shade?:
Shade

What type of algae are present?:

Algae Present: Yes
Type of Algae: Brown coat of algae on rocks

Conditions in your stream: Muddy water; Greenish colored water; Yellow-brown to dark brown water; No unusual color; Dusty film on surface

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


Chemical Assessment

Temperature: 8 C
Dissolved Oxygen:
4 ppm
Percent Oxygen Saturation: 34 %
Nitrate:
< 5 ppm
Phosphate:
1 ppm
pH:
8
Turbidity: 2 JTU
Total Coliforms: Positive

Biological Oxygen Demand: 4 ppm
Stream Flow: 0.163 m/s


Macroinvertebrate Assessment

Sensitive Species: Hellgrammite, Mayfly Nymphs, Stonefly Nymphs
Somewhat Sensitive Species: Beetle Larvae
Tolerant Species: Aquatic Worms, Midge Larvae, Pouch Snails, etc.

How many times did your group sample with the kick net?: 2-3

Water Quality Determination (as calculated from number of species present): 14
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.