Kansas StreamLink
...a watershed exploration
StreamLink Participant
Hiawatha High School
Buttermilk Creek

Date: September 10, 2002
Time: 10:30 AM
HUC8: 110240005

Visual Assessment

Weather in the past 24 hours:
Clear/Sunny
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, Raccoons, Deer, Beavers
Animals in the Creek: Fish, Water Striders, Whirly Gig Beetles

Stream Bank Cover (1 is the least, 8 is the greatest):
Left Bank:
Concrete (0), Big rocks/rip rap (0), Bare soil or sand (7), Grasses (4), Woody shrubs/small trees (7), Big trees (7), Lawn (0)
Right Bank: Concrete (0), Big rocks/rip rap (2), Bare soil or sand (6), Grasses (8), Woody shrubs/small trees (6), Big trees (7), Lawn (0)

Stream Bank Conditions:
Left Bank:
Steeply Sloping
Right Bank: N/A

Habitat Types: Riffles, Runs
Shape of the Channel: Wide 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: None

Is the creek in the sunshine or shade?:
Shade

What type of algae are present?:

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

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

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 (5), Silt (4), Sand (2), Gravel (1), Cobbles (1), Boulders (1), Bedrock (0), Cement platform (0)


Chemical Assessment

Temperature: 23 C
Dissolved Oxygen:
4 ppm
Percent Oxygen Saturation: 47%
Nitrate:
<5 ppm
Phosphate:
1 ppm
pH:
8
Turbidity: 40 JTU
Total Coliforms:
N/A
Biological Oxygen Demand: N/A
Stream Flow: N/A


Macroinvertebrate Assessment

Sensitive Species: Caddisfly Larvae (6), Mayfly Nymphs (14), Riffle Beetle Adult (5)
Somewhat Sensitive Species: Crane Fly Larvae (6), Damselfly Nymphs (1), Dragonfly Nymphs (18)
Tolerant Species: Aquatic Worms (2), Midge Larvae (5)

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

Water Quality Determination (as calculated from number of species present): 17
Scale: Excellent (>22), Good (17-22), Fair (11-16), Poor (<11)


Biological Monitoring

Fish Species: Bullhead (21), Channel Catfish (5), Bluegill (13), Green Sunfish (5), Crappie (1)
Minnow Species: Redtail Shiners (2), Common Shiners (85), Stonerollers (50), Creek Chubs (100)
Frog Species: Leopard Frogs (5), Bullfrogs (5), Cricket Frogs (20)
Invertebrate Species: Crayfish (10)

 

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.