Kansas StreamLink
...a watershed exploration
StreamLink Participant
Jefferson West High School
Rock Creek

Date: September 18, 2002
Time: N/A
HUC8:

Visual Assessment

Weather in the past 24 hours:
Showers, Overcast
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:
Bottles & cans
Animals at the Creek: Frogs, Snakes, Beavers, Raccoons, Deer
Animals in the Creek: Fish, Frogs, Crawdads

Stream Bank Cover (1 is the least, 10 is the greatest):
Left Bank:
Grasses and Forbs (5), Woody Shrubs/Small Trees (7), Big Trees (4), Bedrock (3),
Bare Soil or Sand (1), Exposed Roots (3), Big Rocks/Rip Rap (7), Concrete (0), Lawn (0), Other (0)
Right Bank: Grasses and Forbs (8), Woody Shrubs/Small Trees (7), Big Trees (4), Bedrock (2),
Bare Soil or Sand (3-4), Exposed Roots (8), Big Rocks/Rip Rap (2), Concrete (0), Lawn (0), Other (0)

Stream Bank Conditions:
Left Bank:
Undercut
Right Bank:
Undercut

Habitat Types: Pools
Shape of the Channel: Wide Banks (> 6 feet), Shallow Water (< 3 feet), Deep Banks (> 3 feet)

What's in the water?:
Naturally Occurring:
Sticks or twigs; Fallen leaves
Human Impact: Crop residue

Is the creek in the sunshine or shade?:
Shade

What type of algae are present?:

Algae Present: Algae in spots
Type of Algae: Brown coat of algae on rocks

Conditions in your stream: Muddy water; Greenish colored water; No unusual color

Embeddedness (How much silt is around the rocks, 1 is the least, 4 is the greatest): 2-3
Content of the Stream Bed (1 is the least, 10 is the greatest): Mud (8), Silt (8), Sand (0), Gravel (7), Cobbles (10), Boulders (3), Bedrock (2), Cement Platform (0), Plant Matter (8), Other: Leaves (6)


Chemical Assessment

Temperature: 25 C
Dissolved Oxygen:
2(ish) ppm
Percent Oxygen Saturation: 25%
Nitrate:
0 ppm
Phosphate:
2.5 ppm
pH:
8
Turbidity: 40 JTU
Total Coliforms:
N/A
Biological Oxygen Demand: 2 ppm
Stream Flow: 0 m/s


Macroinvertebrate Assessment

Sensitive Species: None
Somewhat Sensitive Species: Beetle Larvae, Clams, Crayfish, Damselfly Nymphs, Dragonfly Nymphs
Tolerant Species: Leeches, Midge Larvae, 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): 13
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.