Kansas StreamLink
...a watershed exploration
StreamLink Participant
John Dewey Learning Academy
Kansas River Tributary

Date: November 6, 2001
Time: 9:50 AM
HUC8: 10270102

Visual Assessment

Weather in the past 24 hours:
Clear/Sunny (Morning Fog)
Weather Today: Clear/Sunny

Major Land Uses in the watershed:
Parking lots, paved driveways, roads; Sewage Treatment plant discharge; Rural homes with septic systems; Cropland; Active grazing land &/or feedlots; Landfills; Other: Wooded area

Trash at the Creek:
Old tires, Broken glass, cans, Paper, Styrofoam
Animals at the Creek: Frogs, Snakes, Birds
Animals in the Creek: Fish, Water Striders

Stream Bank Cover (1 is the least, 8 is the greatest):
Left Bank:
Concrete (0), Big rocks/rip rap (4), Bare soil or sand (8), Grasses (7), Woody shrubs/small trees (6), Big trees (5), Lawn (0)
Right Bank: Concrete (0), Big rocks/rip rap (4), Bare soil or sand (8), Grasses (7), Woody shrubs/small trees (6), Big trees (5), Lawn (0)

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

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: 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

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): N/A
Content of the Stream Bed (1 is the least, 5 is the greatest): Mud (5), Silt (4), Sand (4), Gravel (4), Cobbles (5), Boulders (1), Bedrock (0), Cement platform (0), Other: Leaves (5)


Chemical Assessment

Temperature: 15 C
Dissolved Oxygen:
4 ppm
Percent Oxygen Saturation: N/A
Nitrate:
<5 ppm
Phosphate:
1 ppm
pH:
8
Turbidity: 0 JTU
Total Coliforms:
Positive
Biological Oxygen Demand: N/A
Stream Flow: N/A


Macroinvertebrate Assessment

Sensitive Species: None
Somewhat Sensitive Species: Scud
Tolerant Species: Pouch Snails

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

Water Quality Determination (as calculated from number of species present): 3
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.