Kansas StreamLink
...a watershed exploration
StreamLink Participant
John Dewey Learning Academy
White Horse Creek
Jennifer Williams

Date: September 16, 2003
Time: 9:15 a.m.
HUC8: N/A

Visual Assessment

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

Major Land Uses in the watershed:
Parking lots, paved driveways, roads; Rural homes with septic systems; Industrial discharge; Cropland; Active grazing land &/or feedlots; Landfills; Construction

Trash at the Creek:
Plastic Bags; Rope
Animals at the Creek: Frogs
Animals in the Creek: Frogs

Stream Bank Cover (1 is the least, 10 is the greatest):
Left Bank:
Grasses and Forbs (8), Woody Shrubs/Small Trees (8), Big Trees (5), Bedrock (0),
Bare Soil or Sand (6), Exposed Roots (10), Big Rocks/Rip Rap (0), Concrete (0), Lawn (0)
Right Bank: Grasses and Forbs (8), Woody Shrubs/Small Trees (6), Big Trees (4), Bedrock (0), Bare Soil or Sand (3), Exposed Roots (2), Big Rocks/Rip Rap (0), Concrete (0), Lawn (0)

Stream Bank Conditions:
Left Bank:
N/A
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, logs, sticks, twigs, fallen leaves
Human Impact: None

Is the creek in the sunshine or shade?:
N/A

What type of algae are present?:

Algae Present: No Algae
Type of Algae: N/A

Conditions in your stream: N/A

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 (1), Silt (1), Sand (5), Gravel (6), Cobbles (8), Boulders (0), Bedrock (10), Cement Platform (0), Plant Matter (5), Other (0)


Chemical Assessment

Temperature: 18 C
Dissolved Oxygen:
5 ppm
Percent Oxygen Saturation: 42%
Nitrate:
1 ppm
Phosphate:
2 ppm
pH:
8
Turbidity: 40 JTU
Total Coliforms:
Positive
Biological Oxygen Demand: inconclusive
Stream Flow: N/A


Macroinvertebrate Assessment

Sensitive Species: Gilled Snails
Somewhat Sensitive Species: Crayfish
Tolerant Species: Leeches, Pouch Snails

How many times did your group sample with the kick net?: N/A

Water Quality Determination (as calculated from number of species present): 7
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.