Thank you!

On this page, you will be asked about the aesthetics of the stream and to select three factors that influenced youropinion of recreational suitability, willingness to participate, and overall aesthetics. These factors can be positive ornegative influences on your opinion of the stream conditions.49. In general, how would you describe the stream and your desire to recreate here?Select one.o 1. No aesthetic problemso 2. Minor aesthetic problemso 3. Moderate aesthetic problemso 4. Major aesthetic problemso 5. Severe aesthetic problemsGroup: RankingIn this section, please identify up to three factors that most strongly influenced your opinion of recreationalsuitability for this stream. When making your selection, please choose the most influential factor first, then selectthe second most, and then third most.50. First FactorSelect one. If you select other, please describe.o Trasho Odoro Pipeso Biofilmo Stream bank vegetationo Aquatic vegetationo Water clarityo Water coloro Noneo Other, please describe: ___________________________

How suitable is the stream for fishing?When answering this, please only consider the current conditions of the stream, not the stream width,depth, or flow.Select one.o 1. Very suitable → Continue to 41o 2. Mostly suitable → Continue to 41o 3. Slightly suitable → Continue to 41o 4. Not suitable at all → Skip to 4242. If you could, would you fish in this stream given the current conditions?Please only consider the current conditions of the stream and not any other factors that would preventyou from participating at this time (lack or equipment, etc.).Select one.o Yeso No43. Wading: Is it possible to wade in this stream?Select No if the stream is too deep or rapidly moving that would make it impossible to wade hereo Yeso No44. How suitable is the stream to wade in?Wading refers to walking in the stream, but not becoming fully submerged. When answering this, pleaseonly consider the current conditions of the stream, not the stream width, depth, or flow.Select one.o 1. Very suitable → Continue to #45o 2. Mostly suitable → Continue to #45o 3. Slightly suitable → Continue to #45o 4. Not suitable at all → Skip to #4645. If you could, would you wade in this stream given the current conditions?Please only consider the current conditions of the stream and not any other factors that would preventyou from participating at this time (lack or equipment, etc.).Select one.o Yeso No46. Swimming: Is it possible to swim in this stream?Select No if the stream is too shallow, narrow, or rapidly moving that would make it impossible to swimhereo Yeso No → skip to #49

n this section, you are asked to identify which recreational activities can be performed here(applicability), then how suitable the stream is for that activity (suitability), and if it is suitable, whether ornot you would be willing to participate in the activity (willingness)• Please consider each of the following activities individually• When answering the applicability questions, please only consider the landscape (hiking only), streamdepth, width, and flow.• When answering the suitability and willingness questions, only consider your responses from the WaterQuality Evaluation sections: general stream conditions, stream surface, water column, and stream bed,and not any other factors that prevent you from participating e.g. lack of equipment or time.31. Hiking: Is it possible to hike along or near this stream?Focus only on the landscapeSelect No if the landscape is impossible to hike e.g. steep hillsides, cliffs, directly adjacent to roadway, orno defined trailSelect one.o Yeso No → skip to #3432. How suitable is the stream to hike along?When answering this, only consider the conditions of and around the stream. Do not consider any otherfactors that would prevent you from participating e.g. lack of equipment or time.Select one.Likert-style:o 1. Very suitable → Continue to #33o 2. Somewhat suitable → Continue to #33o 3. Slightly suitable → Continue to #33o 4. Not suitable → Skip to #3433. If you could, would you hike along this stream given the current conditions?When answering this, only consider the conditions of and around the stream.If there is not a trail, please answer based on whether or not you would be willing to hike along or nearthe stream as is.Select one.o Yeso No

Water Column (between Surface and Bottom)In this section, please focus only on the area between the surface of the water and the bottom of thestream. For each question, please select the description that best matches the conditions of the watercolumn.27. Water clarity: Which of the following best describes your ability to see the stream bottom?Low water clarity is typically seen as a cloudy or dark appearance to the water.This may be due to particles in the water, depth, or water color.Select one.o 1. Very clearo 2. Mostly clearo 3. Slightlyo 4. Not clear at allVery Clear Mostly Clear Slightly Clear Not clear at allCan perfectly seestream bedCan see more than 2 feetinto the waterCan see 6 inches to 2 feetinto the waterCan see less than 6 inchesinto the water28. Color: Which color best describes the color of the water?Please select the color of the water as it appears in front of you.Select one.o No apparent color (Clear)o Blueo Greeno Yellowo Browno Blacko Other, please describe: _______________________End Group: Water ColumnGroup: Stream BedIn this section, please focus on the stream bed, which is the bottom of the stream.For each question, please select the description that best matches the conditions of the stream bed.29. Aquatic Plants: Which of the following best describes the amount of aquatic plants in thestream?Aquatic plants grow from the bottom of the stream or on the surface of the waterThis does not include algae or plants that are growing on the stream bank.Select one.o 1. Noneo 2. Minimalo 3. Moderateo 4. Dense

27. Water clarity: Which of the following best describes your ability to see the stream bottom?Low water clarity is typically seen as a cloudy or dark appearance to the water.This may be due to particles in the water, depth, or water color.Select one.o 1. Very clearo 2. Mostly clearo 3. Slightlyo 4. Not clear at allVery Clear Mostly Clear Slightly Clear Not clear at allCan perfectly seestream bedCan see more than 2 feetinto the waterCan see 6 inches to 2 feetinto the waterCan see less than 6 inchesinto the water28. Color: Which color best describes the color of the water?Please select the color of the water as it appears in front of you.Select one.o No apparent color (Clear)o Blueo Greeno Yellowo Browno Blacko Other, please describe: _______________________End Group: Water ColumnGroup: Stream BedIn this section, please focus on the stream bed, which is the bottom of the stream.For each question, please select the description that best matches the conditions of the stream bed.29. Aquatic Plants: Which of the following best describes the amount of aquatic plants in thestream?Aquatic plants grow from the bottom of the stream or on the surface of the waterThis does not include algae or plants that are growing on the stream bank.Select one.o 1. Noneo 2. Minimalo 3. Moderateo 4. Dense

Stream Bank Vegetation: Which of the following best describes the plant growth on the streambank or directly adjacent to the stream?Select one.o 1. Noneo 2. Minimalo 3. Moderateo 4. Dense24. Pipes: Can you see any pipes going into or near the stream from your current position.Please only report what you can see in from your current position, you do not need to move up ordownstream to answer this question.Select one.o Yes → Continue to #25o No → Skip to #27o Cannot tell → Skip to #2725. How many pipes can you see?Select one. If you select “3 or more”, please upload a photo at the end under “Important Feature”.o 1 → Skip to #27o 2 → Continue to #26o 3 or more → Continue to #2626. Please identify the approximate size of each pipe you can seeWrite the number of pipes that the following sizesSmall (less than 1 ft diameter): _______________Medium (1 to 5 ft diameter): _________________Large (greater than 5 ft diameter): ____________

9. Where is the trash located?Select all that apply Stream bank Floating or suspended in the water Stream bed Other, please describe: ____________________________________20. Algae: How much algae is in the stream?Select one.o 1. None → skip to #22o 2. Minimal → Continue to #21o 3. Moderate → Continue to #21o 4. Dense → Continue to #2121. Where in the stream is the algae?Note: the water column is the area between the surface of the water and the stream bedSelect all that apply. Surface of the water Suspended in water column Attached to stream bed

this section, please evaluate the following features of the stream in front of you. Please answer from what youcan see from your current point of view. You do not need to move up or downstream to select a responseQuestions will be grouped in the following order: general stream conditions, stream bank, water column, andstream be

18. Trash: How much trash is in or along the stream?Small pieces of trash include litterLarger items include items like tired or scrap metalIf there are 3 or more small pieces or any larger items, please upload a photo of it at the end under “ImportantFeature”Select one.Likert-style:o A. None → skip to #20o B. One - two small pieces → continue to #19o C. Three - four small pieces or one larger item → continue to #19o D. Five or more small pieces and/or more than one larger item → continue to #1919. Where is the trash located?Select all that apply Stream bank Floating or suspended in the water Stream bed Other, please describe: ____________________________________20. Algae: How much algae is in the stream?Select one.o 1. None → skip to #22o 2. Minimal → Continue to #21o 3. Moderate → Continue to #21o 4. Dense → Continue to #2121. Where in the stream is the algae?Note: the water column is the area between the surface of the water and the stream bedSelect all that apply. Surface of the water Suspended in water column Attached to stream bed

Location descriptionPlease describe the sampling location. (i.e. road name, access directions – sampled from bridge or trail tostream, etc.)________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________13. What is the name of the stream?Please write the name of the stream you are performing this survey about.Write “DK” if you do not know.________________________________________________________14. Are you currently on public land or private land?Public land refers to state, county, or town parks, public fishing rights easements, boat launches. Fishingplatforms and other public recreational areasPrivate land refers to property owned by an individual, company, or organization that is not intended forpublic recreationo Public lando Private lando Do not know15. Where are you positioned in relation to the stream while performing this survey?Select one.o Wading in streamo On stream bank (less than 3 feet from water edge)o 3 – 10 feet from water edgeo Bridge or pier overlooking streamo Paddling in stream (in canoe, kayak, etc.)o On motorized boato Other, please describe: _____________________________16. What are the current weather conditions?Select one. If you select other, please describe.o Sunnyo Partly cloudyo Cloudyo Raino Other (snow, hail, etc.), please describe: ______________________________

Which of the following best describes your knowledge of water quality?Please select the description that best matches your knowledge of water quality prior to performing thissurvey.Select one.Likert style:o 1. No knowledgeo 2. Somewhat knowledgeableo 3. Very knowledgeableo 4. Extremely knowledgeable9. What was your primary reason for coming to the stream today?Select one. If you select other, please describe.o Hikingo Swimmingo Wadingo Fishingo Motor-boatingo Paddling (canoe, kayak, etc.)o To perform surveyo Other, please describe -10. What do you plan to do at the stream today?Select all that apply. If you select other, please describe. Perform survey Hiking Wading Swimming Fishing Motor-boating Paddling (canoe, kayak, etc.) Wildlife viewing Other, please describe: ____________

What year were you born?Please respond in YYYY format____________3. What are the first four letters of the name of your hometown?Please respond in nnn formatDo not capitalize the first letter____________4. What is the zip code of your home address?Please respond in ZZZZZ format____________End Group: Unique User ID5. What is your gender?Select one.o Femaleo Maleo Non-binary/ third gendero Prefer not to answero Prefer to self-describe: ________________6. Do you currently live in New York or consider New York your primary state of residence?Select one.o Yes -----> Continue to number 7o No -----> Skip to number 8

Given the above study description, do you agree to the terms of the survey and voluntarilyagree to perform this survey? *

For questions or comments about your rights as a participant in this study, please email the primaryinvestigator, Dr. Andrea Feldpausch-Parker at amparker@esf.edu. Alternatively, if you wish to contactanonymously, you can call the Syracuse University’s Institutional Review Board at (315. 443-3013.

Your participation in this research is voluntary, confidential, and you can choose to stop at any time.However unlikely, it is important to note that when submitting information over the internet, there isalways a risk of compromising privacy, confidentiality, and anonymity. Your confidentiality will bemaintained to the degree permitted by the technology being used. No guarantees can be maderegarding the potential for information entered online to be intercepted by third parties. All questionson the survey are optional, except your response to the following Informed Consent question. If youwish to participate and agree to the terms described here, select “Yes” to this question.

You will be asked to provide your birth year, zip code of residence, and the first 4 letters of the name ofyour hometown to generate a unique user code associated with your responses. This information will beused to count the number of participants and to estimate the average number of surveys participantscomplete. Providing this information is completely voluntary and will not be available to anyone exceptthe primary investigators. Your name will not be associated with the responses you provide, or the datagenerated from them. You will also be asked to provide the coordinates of the location where youcompleted the survey. Coordinate information is important

You may perform thissurvey as many times as you would like, but do not perform the survey more than once per day thesame location

his research project asks you to complete an online survey using your personal smart phone or tabletat public-access streams or rivers in Central New York State. Participants have the freedom to choosewhere to perform the survey at any public stream or river location within the given study area. We askthat you do not complete the survey on private property, personally owned or otherwise, since theresearch team will perform follow-up water quality data collection at the locations of surveycompletion. It is expected that this survey will take 10-20 minutes to complete.

Thank you again for your interest and participation.Welcome to the CREEQ Crew!

To participate you must be 18 years or older. You will be asked to verify this information on the survey.

Your participation in this study is highly valuable, as your opinion of water quality andrecreational use is an important foundation for care of NY waterways. By participating you willbe part of a large network of volunteers, whose work can improve water quality monitoringefforts and mitigation responses. By simply having a better understanding of the waterconditions in streams across the state, the NYSDEC can better predict and manage potentialwater quality issues for connecting bodies of water and watersheds as a whole

, pronounced “creek” stands for “Citizen Recreational Evaluation of EnvironmentalQuality”. As this name suggests, this initiative asks waterway users, like you, to perform a visualevaluation of water quality and recreational usability of stream through a guided survey. Thepurpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of using an online survey to obtain waterquality monitoring reports and by volunteer citizen scientists across Central New York State.During this study period, a team from ESF will follow-up on survey responses by collecting watersamples from the locations where they were submitted. These samples will be analyzed forwater quality-indicating parameters and will be compared to survey responses. The DEC aims touse these reports to inform water quality monitoring efforts beyond the DOW’s routinemonitoring network of rivers and streams.

Thissurvey is part of a project conducted by the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry(ESF) in collaboration with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s(DEC) Division of Water (DOW

Thank you for taking interest in the CREEQ Citizen Science Initiative and research project.