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

Date: September 11, 2002
Time: 2:00 PM
HUC8: 10240008

Visual Assessment

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

Major Land Uses in the watershed:
Cropland

Trash at the Creek:
No trash
Animals at the Creek: Frogs, Raccoons, Deer, Cyote
Animals in the Creek: Fish, Water Bugs

Stream Bank Cover (1 is the least, 8 is the greatest):
Left Bank:
Concrete (1), Big rocks/rip rap (8), Bare soil or sand (2), Grasses (5), Woody shrubs/small trees (8), Big trees (8), Lawn (3)
Right Bank: Concrete (1), Big rocks/rip rap (4), Bare soil or sand (8), Grasses (5), Woody shrubs/small trees (8), Big trees (8), Lawn (3)

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


Habitat Types: Pools, Riffles, Runs
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: None

Is the creek in the sunshine or shade?:
Shade

What type of algae are present?:

Algae Present: Algae in spots
Type of Algae: Hairy Algae

Conditions in your stream: Greenish colored water

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 (0), Silt (0), Sand (0), Gravel (+), Cobbles (+), Boulders (+), Bedrock (0), Cement platform (0)


Chemical Assessment

Temperature: 26 C
Dissolved Oxygen:
6 ppm
Percent Oxygen Saturation: 74%
Nitrate:
N/A
Phosphate: 2 ppm
pH:
9
Turbidity: 40 JTU
Total Coliforms:
Positive
Biological Oxygen Demand: N/A
Stream Flow: N/A


Macroinvertebrate Assessment

Sensitive Species: Caddisfly Larvae (40), Hellgrammite (1), Stonefly Nymphs (10)
Somewhat Sensitive Species: Clans (115), Damselfly Nymphs (3), Dragonfly Nymphs (2)
Tolerant Species: Aquatic Worms (1), Midge Larvae (1)

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 (2), Bluegill (4)
Minnow Species: Redtail Shiners (2), Common Shiners (55), Creek Chubs (4)
Frog Species: None
Invertebrate Species: Crayfish (1), Mussels (1)

 

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.