Kansas StreamLink
...a watershed exploration
StreamLink Participant
School Name
Stream Name

Date: May 2, 2002
Time: 10:30 AM - 2:30 PM

Visual Assessment

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

Major Land Uses in the watershed:
Parking lots, paved driveways, roads; Golf courses, manicured lawns, or city parks; Rural homes with septic systems; Cropland; Active grazing land &/or feedlots; Construction

Trash at the Creek:
Broken glass, cans
Animals at the Creek: Frogs, Raccoons, Snakes, Birds
Animals in the Creek: Fish (Catfish, darters), Water Striders, Water Snakes, Tadpoles, Crayfish

Stream Bank Cover (1 is the least, 8 is the greatest):
Left Bank:
Concrete (1), Big rocks/rip rap (5), Bare soil or sand (5), Grasses (6), Woody shrubs/small trees (8), Big trees (3), Lawn (3)
Right Bank: Concrete (1), Big rocks/rip rap (1), Bare soil or sand (3), Grasses (6), Woody shrubs/small trees (8), Big trees (4), Lawn (4)

Stream Bank Conditions:
Left Bank:
Undercut
Right Bank:
Undercut to Steeply Sloping

Habitat Types: Pools, Riffles, Runs
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; Foam

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 (3), Silt (3), Sand (5), Gravel (5), Cobbles (4), Boulders (0), Bedrock (5), Cement platform (0)


Chemical Assessment

Temperature: 14 C
Dissolved Oxygen:
4 ppm
Percent Oxygen Saturation: 39%
Nitrate:
<5 ppm
Phosphate:
<1 ppm
pH:
8
Turbidity: 20 JTU
Total Coliforms:
N/A
Biological Oxygen Demand: N/A
Stream Flow: 0.15 m/s


Macroinvertebrate Assessment

Sensitive Species: Caddisfly Larvae, Hellgrammite, Mayfly Nymphs, Riffle Beetle Adult, Stonefly Nympnhs
Somewhat Sensitive Species: Clams, Crane Fly Larvae, Damselfly Nymphs, Dragonfly Nymphs, Scud
Tolerant Species: Midge Larvae, Pouch Snails

How many times did your group sample with the kick net?: 6

Water Quality Determination (as calculated from number of species present): 29
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.