1. 1
2014 Shell Creek Watershed
Research Group
Advisors: Mark Seier, Kylie Sweeter, and Danielle Amen
Researchers: Mariely Estrada, Parker Wallin, Sadie Wallin,
Marcela Estrada, Esmeralda Arreguin, Celine Dunlap, Destiny
Johnson, Joe O’Brien, Nolan Wondercheck, Steven Arreguin, Will
Dyer, Andy King, Mya Donelson, Hannah Haase, Jacob Potmesil,
Kyle Stone, Jacob Haase, and Brooke Pieke.
2. Shell Creek and Loseke-Taylor Creek Watersheds
2
(with Township-Range Labels)
Lower Platte North Natural Resources District
6
South Branch
North Branch
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 tests are not part of the W.Q.I.,
but do give us a water quality rating.
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. 9
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
May June July August
Inches
2014 Precipitation
Date
10. 10
8.4
8.1
7.8
7.5
7.2
6.9
6.6
6.3
pH
May 30 June 10 July 18 August 7
pH Level
Date
Site 1
Site 2
Site 3
Site 4
Site 6
Site 5
11. 11
5
4
3
2
1
0
-1
-2
-3
Change in Water Temperature
May 30 June 10 July 18 August 7
Degrees Celcius
Date
Site 1
Site 2
Site 3
Site 4
Site 6
Site 5
The higher the change, the worse the water quality.
12. 12
1000
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
Total Solids
May 30 June 10 July 18 August 7
mg/L
Date
Site 1
Site 2
Site 3
Site 4
Site 6
Site 5
The higher the concentration, the worse the water quality.
14. 14
1000
100
Fecal Coliform
May 30 June 10 July 18 August 7
Colonies/100 mL
Date
Site 1
Site 2
Site 3
Site 4
Site 6
Site 5
15. 15
100000
10000
1000
100
10
Site 1
Site 2
Site 3
Site 4
Site 6
Site 5
Fecal Coliform
16. 16
25
20
15
10
5
0
Flow
May 30 June 10 July 18 August 7
Cubic Feet Per Second
Date
Site 1
Site 2
Site 3
Site 4
Site 6
Site 5
17. 17
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Turbidity
May 30 June 10 July 18 August 7
JTU's
Date
Site 1
Site 2
Site 3
Site 4
Site 6
Site 5
18. 18
110
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
Dissolved Oxygen
May 30 June 10 July 18 August 7
% Saturation
Date
Site 1
Site 2
Site 3
Site 4
Site 6
Site 5
19. 19
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
5 Day Biological Oxygen Demand
May 30 June 10 July 18 August 7
PPM
Date
Site 1
Site 2
Site 3
Site 4
Site 6
Site 5
The higher the change, the worse the water quality.
20. 20
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Nitrates
May 30 June 10 July 18 August 7
PPM
Date
Site 1
Site 2
Site 3
Site 4
Site 6
Site 5
21. 21
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
P
P
M
Date
Nitrates
Site 1
Site 2
Site 3
Site 4
Site 6
Site 5
22. 22
2
1.8
1.6
1.4
1.2
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
Phosphates
May 30 June 10 July 18 August 7
PPM
Date
Site 1
Site 2
Site 3
Site 4
Site 6
Site 5
23. Good
Medium
Bad
23
70
65
60
55
50
45
40
35
30
WQI Averages by Site
Site 1 Site 2 Site 3 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
24. Good
Medium
Bad
24
70
65
60
55
50
45
40
35
WQI Averages by Year
WQI
25. 25
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
2003-2014 Chemical Test Average Comparison
Total Rainfall
Inches
Discharge
CFS
Nitrates PPM pH
2003 Averages
2004 Averages
2005 Averages
2006 Averages
2007 Averages
2008 Averages
2009 Averages
2010 Averages
2011 Averages
2012 Averages
2013 Averages
2014 Average
27. 27
10000
1000
100
10
1
2003-2014 Chemical Test Average Comparisons
D.O. % Sat. Turbidity JTU 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
28. Chemical Test Conclusions
• The Dissolved Oxygen numbers look
considerably better. (possibly due to new
equipment)
• The fecal coliform count is still very erratic.
• The overall WQI is at its best since 2003.
• Nitrates, Phosphates, and Fecal Coliform
all correlate with the amount of rainfall.
• Sites 1, 5, and 6 are the most erratic sites
while sites 2, 3, and 4 are the most
consistent.
28
37. 37
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
38. 38
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
