Water Walk Survey Report
Please e-mail, fax, or mail completed form to Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful
Email: gwinnettcb@gwinnettcb.org, Fax: (770) 822-5179
4300 Satellite Boulevard, Duluth, GA, 30096
Adapted from Georgia Adopt-a-Stream’s Visual Survey and Habitat Survey
Watershed: ________________________ Group Leader: ______________________
Phone: ____________________________ E-mail: ____________________________
Group Name: __________________________________________________________
Date of survey: _____________________ Time of day of survey: _______________
Today’s Weather (circle all that apply): Clear/Sunny
Partly Cloudy
Short Rain Showers Steady Rainfall
Overcast
Heavy Rainfall
HOW TO DO A WATER WALK
A water walk is a visual assessment of the characteristics of that stream. This survey focuses
on assessing the stream, lake, or pond based on 3 main conditions:
1. Water Quality
2. Water Supply (*streams only)
3. Habitat Health
Each parameter is important to understand the availability and cleanliness of our freshwater
supply. To assess the conditions, you will measure stream flow, do a visual survey of water
quality parameters, and conduct a habitat survey.
You will need:
- Clipboard with the Water Walk Survey Report and Habitat Survey Forms
- Measuring Tape
- Digital Camera (or phone camera with at least 8 megapixels resolution)
- Calculator (or phone calculator)
- Stopwatch (or phone stopwatch)
- Empty plastic water bottle OR orange
- 20 ft piece of strong string (not hairy twine)
- Permanent marker
- Scissors
For some parameters, instructions will be different based on whether your stream is “rockybottom” or “muddy-bottom.” Rocky-bottom streams have mostly natural large rocks and
pebbles on the bottom of the stream and more riffles, where the water runs rapidly over the
rocks and creates little waves. Muddy-bottom streams have mostly silt, sand, or clay on the
bottom of the stream and are more slow-moving with less-frequent riffles.
A. OBSERVING WATER QUALITY
1. Water Color (check all that apply)
o Clear/ No color
o Brown/ Muddy
o Green
o Milky/ White
o Yellow/ Tannic
o Other: ________________________
2. Water Clarity (check all that apply)
o Clear/ Transparent
o Cloudy/ Somewhat muddy or unclear
o Very cloudy and unclear
o Other: ________________________
3. Water Surface (check all that apply)
o Clear
o Oily Sheen: Does it break apart when you move it or swirl?
Circle one: Breaks apart / Swirls
o Algae growing on surface
o Foam (circle/ describe any that apply):
Greater than 3” high /
It is pure white /
Other: _________________
4. Water Odor (check all that apply)
o No odor
o Gasoline
o Sewage
o Rotten Egg/ sulfur
o Fishy
o Chlorine
o Other: ________________
5. Trash/Litter (check one)
o (1) Minimal/no litter- you see only maybe 1-2 pieces of trash, but mostly clean
o (2) Slightly Littered- you see several scattered pieces of trash
o (3) Littered- you see a piece of trash or small piles every few feet
o (4) Extremely Littered- you see several large items and piles of trash
6. Pipes/ Outfalls/ Bridges (record the number observed)
o ____ Bridges
o ____ Stream culverts (tunnel carrying a stream under a road or railroad)
o ____ Pipes (that appear to let out in the stream, lake, or pond)
B. MEASURING WATER SUPPLY
You will assess the water levels both visually and numerically. See below for
directions.
1. Water Flow/ Level
Look at the area where the water level is in relation to the bank, or where the
sides of the streambed top off. Is the water level near the top of the bank or much
lower? Is the water not moving (still) or flowing?
Check one of the following to describe the water flow:
o Dry (can see a stream bed but no flow)
o Low flow
o Still water
o Flowing water
o High flow
o Flooded (over banks)
2. Stream Flow
You will use a series of equations to calculate the stream flow. *This parameter
does not apply for lakes or ponds.
i.
CALCULATE AREA:
 Use your measuring tape to measure the depth of the stream from
bank to bank. If the stream is too deep, use the measuring tape to
estimate your best guess. Measure in at least 2 locations.
 To calculate the average depth, add up all your measurements and
divide by the number of measurements taken. (See Stream Flow
Form below)
 Do the same thing for the stream width: stick your tape measure in
the water until it reaches the bottom. Measure in at least 2
locations.
 Calculate the average width.
 Multiply average stream width by average stream depth for the
average stream area (See Stream Flow Form below)
ii.
CALCULATE SPEED:
 Take your twine and measure off 20ft with a permanent marker.
Leave a little extra on each end (no more than 6 inches).
 Loop one end into a handle. Use the other end to tie around your
chosen floatation device:
 Plastic bottle: Tie around the neck of the bottle tight. Using a
plastic bottle will allow you to visualize how swiftly litter can
move downstream.
 Orange: Cut a hole in the orange so that you can thread it on
the string like a bead, tying the strings tight. In the off-chance
that the string comes undone, this option is at least
biodegradable.
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iii.
Use the stopwatch to measure the seconds it takes for the float to
move from your location to the end of the string (20ft distance).
Stand in one place, and toss the float into the stream while you hold
onto the handle-end tightly. Start the stopwatch from the time the
float hits the water and stop it once the float reaches the end of the
string.
Measure in at least 2 different locations. Write these numbers on
the Stream Flow Form below.
Calculate the average speed.
CALCULATE STREAM FLOW:
 Multiply the stream area by the stream speed and the correct
number for either a rocky-bottom or muddy-bottom stream
Stream Flow Form
C. ASSESSING HEALTHY HABITATS
Use the Georgia Adopt-a-Stream’s Habitat Survey included in this form to assess the
conditions of the stream, lake, or pond habitats. Healthy habitats equal healthy waters,
which is why we want to measure for this indicator as well.
1. There are 10 parameters, each ranked on a score of 0-10, with 10 being the best. In
some cases, you will evaluate the left and right bank separately, scoring each from
0-5. Use the pictures included to assess each parameter along the scale and record
any unique or seemingly important observations.
2. If surveying a stream, you will need to look at a section of stream that is about 12
times the width of the stream. This can be an estimation. If surveying a lake or pond,
look at as much area as is available for your survey.
Terms to Know
 Channel- the section of the stream that contains the main flow
 Channel Sinuosity- how often there are bends or swerves in the stream path (rather
than just straight)
 Dredging- digging out of sediment or stream bank area to widen or deepen the
stream channel
 Epifaunal Substrate- “available cover” such as rocks, trees, and branches
underneath the water where organisms could live in or on
 Embeddedness- how much the rocks on the bottom of the stream are surrounded
by sediment/ dirt (for rocky bottom streams only)
 Macroinvertebrates- aquatic insects or “water bugs” that can be seen with the
naked eye (their presence correlates to the levels of oxygen in the water)
 Riffle- where the water runs rapidly over the rocks and creates little waves
 Riparian vegetative zone OR buffer- the area along either side of the stream
channel that has plants and trees growing directly along it
 Sediment- fancy name for dirt, soil, or sand
 Substrate- material, such as sediment or plants, that form the stream bed (can be
exposed if the stream is low)
Once you have completed the Habitat Survey, add up your scores. Use the score key on the
Habitat Survey sheet to rate the health of your stream’s habitat.
Habitat Survey
Developed by Georgia Adopt-a-Stream.
Water Walk Summary Form
Please e-mail, fax, or mail completed form to Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful
Email: gwinnettcb@gwinnettcb.org, Fax: (770) 822-5179
4300 Satellite Boulevard, Duluth, GA, 30096
Directions
A.
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Look at all of the “Observing Water Quality Data”.
Check all observations for water color, clarity, and surface.
List the average number for the Trash/Litter Score.
Record the total number of Pipes/ Outfalls/ Bridges observed.
1. Water Color (check all that apply)
o Clear/ No color
o Brown/ Muddy
o Green
o Milky/ White
o Yellow/ Tannic
o Other: ________________________
2. Water Clarity (check all that apply)
o Clear/ Transparent
o Cloudy/ Somewhat muddy or unclear
o Very cloudy and unclear
o Other: ________________________
3. Water Surface (check all that apply)
o Clear
o Oily Sheen: Does it break apart when you move it or swirl?
Circle one: Breaks apart / Swirls
o Algae growing on surface
o Foam (circle/ describe any that apply):
Greater than 3” high /
It is pure white /
Other: _________________
4. Water Odor (check all that apply)
o No odor
o Gasoline
o Sewage
o Rotten Egg/ sulfur
o Fishy
o Chlorine
o Other: ________________
5. Trash/Litter Average Score: ______
6. Pipes/ Outfalls/ Bridges (record the total number observed)
o ____ Bridges
o ____ Stream culverts (tunnel carrying a stream under a road or railroad)
o ____ Pipes (that appear to let out in the stream, lake, or pond)
B. Record the average Stream Flow GPD calculated: ____________________ GPD
C. Record the average Habitat Survey Score and Rating: _____________________