Kansas StreamLink
...a watershed exploration
StreamLink Participant
Nemaha Valley Junior High
Harris Creek

Date: November 5, 2002
Time: 1:20 PM
HUC8: 10240007

Visual Assessment

Weather in the past 24 hours:
Overcast
Weather Today: Overcast

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:
Concrete, metal
Animals at the Creek: Frogs, Deer (tracks), Crane
Animals in the Creek: Fish, Water Striders, Diving Beetles,

Stream Bank Cover (1 is the least, 8 is the greatest):
Left Bank:
Concrete (5), Big rocks/rip rap (0), Bare soil or sand (4), Grasses (2), Woody shrubs/small trees (3), Big trees (6), Lawn (0)
Right Bank: Concrete (2), Big rocks/rip rap (0), Bare soil or sand (3), Grasses (2), Woody shrubs/small trees (4), Big trees (7), Lawn (0)

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

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: Crop residue;

Is the creek in the sunshine or shade?:
NA

What type of algae are present?:

Algae Present: Algae everywhere
Type of Algae: Brown coat of algae on rocks; Algae matted on rocks

Conditions in your stream: Muddy water; No unusual color; Foam

Embeddedness (How much silt is around the rocks, 1 is the least, 4 is the greatest): 3
Content of the Stream Bed (1 is the least, 5 is the greatest): Mud (3), Silt (1), Sand (2), Gravel (1), Cobbles (3), Boulders (0), Bedrock (1), Cement platform (4)


Chemical Assessment

Temperature: 8 C
Dissolved Oxygen:
4 ppm
Percent Oxygen Saturation: 34%
Nitrate:
<5 ppm
Phosphate:
2 ppm
pH:
8
Turbidity: 40 JTU
Total Coliforms:
Positive
Biological Oxygen Demand: 1 ppm
Stream Flow: 0.25 m/s


Macroinvertebrate Assessment

Sensitive Species: Hellgrammite, Mayfly Nymphs, Gilled Snails, Riffle Beetle Adult
Somewhat Sensitive Species: Crane Fly Larvae, Dragonfly Nynphs
Tolerant Species: Midge Larvae, Pouch Snails

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

Water Quality Determination (as calculated from number of species present): 18
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.