2016 Shell Creek Watershed Presentation

1. 1
2016 Shell Creek Watershed Research Group
Advisors: Mark Seier, Kylie Sweeter, and Danielle Amen
Researchers: Vanessa Arreguin, Dylan Bagley, Cheyenne Cleland,
Dominik Cuevas, Mya Donelson, Evelyn Estrada, Hannah Haase,
Tyson Haddix, Sarah Johnson, Levi Krueger, Cody Nelson, Payton
Nelson, Abbie Pieke, Jacob Potmesil, Caden Ranslem, Michael
Riedel, Brady Sokol, Maddison Steffensmeier, Rebecca Stone, and
Kyle Stone

2. 2
(with Township-Range Labels)
Shell Creek and Loseke-Taylor Creek Watersheds
Lower Platte North Natural Resources District
6
South Branch North Branch

3. 3
6
Above Newman Grove
Below Newman Grove

4. 4
6
Below Lindsay
West Platte Center

5. 5
W.Q.I.
• The Water Quality Index was developed by the
National Sanitation Foundation as a standard
system to compare different bodies of water.
• To determine the WQI, a series of nine tests
were performed. These tests were: dissolved
oxygen, fecal coliform, pH, Biological Oxygen
Demand (BOD), temperature, total phosphate,
nitrates, turbidity, and total solids. We also did
a water discharge test which we use to
measure the flow of the creek in cubic feet per
second.

6. 6
• After the tests are completed, the WQI for each
section of the creek can be computed.
• To formulate the WQI, we first computed Q-
values.
• We multiply this number by a weighting factor,
which provides a measure of the relative
importance of each test to overall water quality.
• The water quality index ranges from zero to 100.
- 0 - 25 is very bad
- 25 - 50 is bad
- 50 - 70 is medium
- 70 - 90 is good
- 90 - 100 is excellent
• The bio-indicator and water discharge tests are not
part of the W.Q.I., but do give us a water quality
rating.

7. 7
Sample W.Q.I. Curve Chart

8. 8
Sample W.Q.I. Form
Test Results Q-value
Weighting
Factor Total
DO % sat. 0.17
Fecal Coliform col/100 mL 0.16
pH units 0.11
BOD mg/L 0.11
Temperature change in C 0.1
Total Phosphate mg/L 0.1
Nitrates mg/L 0.1
Turbidity JTU 0.08
Total Solids mg/L 0.07
Overall Water Quality Index ___

9. Rainfall/WQI
2016
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
WQI Site
1
WQI Site
2
WQI Site
3
WQI Site
4
WQI Site
6
WQI Site
5
WQI Average
WQI Average
12.52
9
8.44
8.93

10. 10
6.3
6.6
6.9
7.2
7.5
7.8
8.1
8.4
May 25 June 22 July 20 August 9
pHLevel
Date
pH
Site 1
Site 2
Site 3
Site 4
Site 6
Site 5

11. 11
-2
-1
0
1
2
3
4
May 25 June 22 July 20 August 9
DegreesCelcius
Date
Change in Water Temperature
Site 1
Site 2
Site 3
Site 4
Site 6
Site 5
The higher the change, the worse the water quality.

12. 12
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
May 25 June 22 July 20 August 9
mg/L
Date
Total Solids
Site 1
Site 2
Site 3
Site 4
Site 6
Site 5
The higher the concentration, the worse the water quality.

13. 13
Fecal Coliform

14. 14
100
1000
May 25 June 22 July 20 August 9
Colonies/100mL
Date
Fecal Coliform
Site 1
Site 2
Site 3
Site 4
Site 6
Site 5

15. 15
10
100
1000
10000
100000
Site 1
Site 2
Site 3
Site 4
Site 6
Site 5
Fecal Coliform

16. 16
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
May 25 June 22 July 20 August 9
CubicFeetPerSecond
Date
Flow
Site 1
Site 2
Site 3
Site 4
Site 6
Site 5

17. 17
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
May 25 June 22 July 20 August 9
JTU's
Date
Turbidity
Site 1
Site 2
Site 3
Site 4
Site 6
Site 5

18. 18
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
May 25 June 22 July 20 August 9
%Saturation
Date
Dissolved Oxygen
Site 1
Site 2
Site 3
Site 4
Site 6
Site 5

19. 19
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
May 25 June 22 July 20 August 9
PPM
Date
5 Day Biological Oxygen Demand
Site 1
Site 2
Site 3
Site 4
Site 6
Site 5
The higher the change, the worse the water quality.

20. 20
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
May 25 June 22 July 20 August 9
PPM
Date
Total Nitrates
Site 1
Site 2
Site 3
Site 4
Site 6
Site 5

21. Nitrates
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
PPm
Year
Site 1
Site 2
Site 3
Site 4
Site 6
Site 5
21

22. 22
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
May 25 June 22 July 20 August 9
PPM
Date
Phosphates
Site 1
Site 2
Site 3
Site 4
Site 6
Site 5

23. 23
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
Site 1 Site 2 Site 3
WQI Averages By Site
2003 Averages 2004 Averages 2005 Averages 2006 Averages
2007 Averages 2008 Averages 2009 Averages 2010 Averages
2011 Averages 2012 Averages 2013 Averages 2014 Averages
2015 Averages 2016 Averages
Good
Medium
Bad

24. WQI Averages by Site
24
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
Site 4 Site 6 Site 5
2003 Averages 2004 Averages 2005 Averages 2006 Averages
2007 Averages 2008 Averages 2009 Averages 2010 Averages
2011 Averages 2012 Averages 2013 Averages 2014 Averages
2015 Averages 2016 Average
Good
Medium
Bad

25. 25
Good
Bad
Medium
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
WQI Averages by Year
WQI

26. 26
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Total Rainfall
Inches
Discharge CFS Nitrates PPM
2003-2016 Chemical Test Average Comparison
2003 Averages
2004 Averages
2005 Averages
2006 Averages
2007 Averages
2008 Averages
2009 Averages
2010 Averages
2011 Averages
2012 Averages
2013 Averages
2014 Average
2015 Averages
2016 Average

27. 27
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
Phosphates ppm B.O.D. ppm
2003-2016 Chemical Test Average Comparison
2003 Averages
2004 Averages
2005 Averages
2006 Averages
2007 Averages
2008 Averages
2009 Averages
2010 Averages
2011 Averages
2012 Averages
2013 Averages
2014 Averages
2015 Averages
2016 Average

28. 1
10
100
1000
D.O. % Sat. Turbidity JTU
2003-2016 Chemical Test Average Comparisons
2003 Averages 2004 Averages 2005 Averages 2006 Averages 2007 Averages
2008 Averages 2009 Averages 2010 Averages 2011 Averages 2012 Averages
2013 Averages 2014 Averages 2015 Averages 2016 Averages
28

29. 1
10
100
1000
10000
Fecal Coliform Colonies/100 mL Total Solids mg/L
2003 Averages 2004 Averages 2005 Averages 2006 Averages 2007 Averages
2008 Averages 2009 Averages 2010 Averages 2011 Averages 2012 Averages
2013 Averages 2014 Averages 2015 Averages 2016 Averages
29
2003-2016 Chemical Test Average Comparisons

30. Chemical Test Conclusions
• The last 3 years the Dissolved Oxygen
numbers look considerably better. (possibly
due to new equipment)
• In overall Nitrates has risen.
• Site 1’s WQI has gone up, but Site 5 has
gone down.
• The rain gauge data indicates that the
amount of rainfall may be bringing the
WQI down.
30

31. 31
Macro Invertebrates
Tolerant
Somewhat
SensitiveSensitive

32. 32
Beaver-Shell Creek Comparison
2016
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
pH Nitrates Phosphates B.O.D
Beaver Creek
Shell Creek

33. 33
Beaver-Shell Creek Comparison
2016
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
Turbidity Fecal
Coliform
Total Solids D.O. % Sat.
Beaver Creek
Shell Creek

34. 34
Beaver-Shell Creek WQI Comparison
Good
Medium
Bad
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Beaver
Creek
Average
WQI
Shell Creek
Average
WQI

35. 35

36. 36

37. 37
Name this
critter

38. 38

39. 39
Researchers Standing By New
Sign North of Newman Grove,
Illustrated by Marcela Estrada

40. 40
Thank You To:
• Lower Platte North Natural
Resource District
• PrairieLand RC&D
• Natural Resource Conservation
Service
• Nebraska Department of
Environmental Quality
• Shell Creek Watershed
Improvement Group

41. 41
Website
• Go to http://www.newman.esu8.org/
• Click the “Shell Creek Watershed” icon
on the right hand column
• You can access our data and further
information concerning this project,
including pictures