Kansas StreamLink
...a watershed exploration
StreamLink Participant
Rochester Elementary School
Indian Creek

Date: September 28, 2001
Time: 9:00 AM

Visual Assessment

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

Trash at the Creek:
Broken glass, cans; Plastic bags
Animals at the Creek: None
Animals in the Creek: Water Striders, Whirly Gig Beetles, Water Boatmen or Back Swimmers

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

Stream Bank Conditions:
Left Bank:
Steeply Sloping
Right Bank:
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:
Sticks or twigs; Fallen leaves
Human Impact: None

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: Yellow-brown to dark brown water; No unusual color

Embeddedness (How much silt is around the rocks, 1 is the least, 4 is the greatest): 2.5
Content of the Stream Bed (1 is the least, 5 is the greatest): Mud (2), Silt (2), Sand (3), Gravel (2), Cobbles (3), Boulders (3), Bedrock (4), Cement Platform (0)


Chemical Assessment

Temperature: 14 C
Dissolved Oxygen:
4 ppm
Percent Oxygen Saturation: 40%
Nitrate:
N/A
Phosphate:
N/A
pH:
7.5
Turbidity: 20 JTU
Total Coliforms:
N/A
Biological Oxygen Demand: N/A
Stream Flow: N/A


Macroinvertebrate Assessment

Sensitive Species: Hellgrammite, Mayfly Nymphs, Riffle Beetle Adults, Stonefly Nymphs
Somewhat Sensitive Species: Beetle Larvae, Crayfish, Scud
Tolerant Species: Aquatic Worms, Blackfly Larvae, Pouch Snails

How many times did your group sample with the kick net?: 4

Water Quality Determination (as calculated from number of species present): 21
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.