Kansas StreamLink
...a watershed exploration
StreamLink Participant
Northern Heights High School
142 Mile Creek

Date: May 1, 2003
Time: 8:30-11:30
HUC8: 10290101- 1014

Visual Assessment

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

Major Land Uses in the watershed:
Active grazing land &/or feedlots

Trash at the Creek:
Barbed Wire, Tractors; Bottles & cans; Oil Can
Animals at the Creek: Frogs, Raccoons, Birds, Deer, Cows
Animals in the Creek: Fish, Frogs, Water Striders, Crawdad

Stream Bank Cover (1 is the least, 10 is the greatest):
Left Bank:
Grasses and Forbs (5), Woody Shrubs/Small Trees (5), Big Trees (6), Bedrock (0),Bare Soil or Sand (6), Exposed Roots (4), Big Rocks/Rip Rap (0), Concrete (0), Lawn (0), Other (0)
Right Bank: Grasses and Forbs (4), Woody Shrubs/Small Trees (4), Big Trees (6), Bedrock (0), Bare Soil or Sand (7), Exposed Roots (8), Big Rocks/Rip Rap (0), Concrete (0), Lawn (0), Other (0)

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

Habitat Types: Pools, Riffles, and 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: Algae matted on rocks; Hairy Algae

Conditions in your stream: Greenish colored water; 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 (2), Silt (2), Sand (3), Gravel (2), Cobbles (0), Boulders (0), Bedrock (0), Cement Platform (0), Plant Matter (1), Other (0)


Chemical Assessment

Temperature: 15 C
Dissolved Oxygen:
4 ppm
Percent Oxygen Saturation: 40 %
Nitrate:
< 5 ppm
Phosphate:
1 ppm
pH:
(average of 3) 7.67
Turbidity: 40 JTU
Total Coliforms:
Positive
Biological Oxygen Demand: 4 ppm
Stream Flow: N/A


Macroinvertebrate Assessment

Sensitive Species: None
Somewhat Sensitive Species: Crayfish, Damselfly Nymphs, Scud
Tolerant Species: Aquatic Worms, 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): 9
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.