Kansas StreamLink
...a watershed exploration
StreamLink Participant
Nemaha Valley JH
Harris Creek

Date: March 15, 2002
Time: 8:00 PM
HUC8: 1024007 GPS: N 39 50.571' W 90 ?.351'

Visual Assessment

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

Major Land Uses in the watershed:
Rural homes with septic systems; Cropland; Active grazing land &/or feedlots

Trash at the Creek:
Old tires, Barbed wire, tractors, Broken glass, cans, tin, paper, plastic bags
Animals at the Creek: Raccoons (tracks)
Animals in the Creek: Fish, Water Striders

Stream Bank Cover (1 is the least, 8 is the greatest):
Left Bank:
Concrete (8), Big rocks/rip rap (2), Bare soil or sand (5), Grasses (0), Woody shrubs/small trees (6), Big trees (3), Lawn (0)
Right Bank: Concrete (7), Big rocks/rip rap (2), Bare soil or sand (5), Grasses (0), Woody shrubs/small trees (6), Big trees (7), Lawn (0)

Stream Bank Conditions:
Left Bank:
NA
Right Bank: NA

Habitat Types: NA
Shape of the Channel: Wide (>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:

Is the creek in the sunshine or shade?:
Sun, paritial shade

What type of algae are present?:

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

Conditions in your stream: 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, 5 is the greatest): Mud (0), Silt (3), Sand (4), Gravel (5), Cobbles (2), Boulders (0), Bedrock (0), Cement platform (2)


Chemical Assessment

Temperature: 2 C
Dissolved Oxygen:
4 ppm
Percent Oxygen Saturation: 29%
Nitrate:
<5 ppm
Phosphate:
2 ppm
pH:
8.5
Turbidity: 40 JTU
Total Coliforms:
Positive
Biological Oxygen Demand: 4 ppm
Stream Flow: 0.46 m/s


Macroinvertebrate Assessment

Sensitive Species: Caddisfly Larvae, Hellgrammite, Mayfly Nymphs
Somewhat Sensitive Species: Beetle Larvae
Tolerant Species: Blackfly Larvae, Midge Larvae

How many times did your group sample with the kick net?: 3

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.