Constituents Measured or Computed Continuously in Kansas
Continuous measurements of constituents (water-quality parameters) can be obtained by direct measurement using sensors, or by indirect computation using models.
Below is a list of constituents continuously measured or computed by the USGS in Kansas. Click on a constituent for more detailed information, including a list of where it is measured or computed.
Constituent Name | Units | Criteria |
---|---|---|
Acid neutralizing capability (alkalinity, unfiltered) | milligrams per liter as calcium carbonate (mg/L-CaCO3) | |
Alkalinity, dissolved | milligrams per liter as calcium carbonate (mg/L-CaCO3) | |
Ammonia plus organic nitrogen, dissolved | milligrams per liter as nitrogen (mg/L) | |
Arsenic, dissolved | micrograms per liter as arsenic (ug/L) | 10 ug/L |
Atrazine | micrograms per liter (ug/L) | 3 ug/L, 3 ug/L, 170 ug/L |
Bicarbonate, dissolved | milligrams per liter as bicarbonate (mg/L) | |
Boron, dissolved | micrograms per liter (ug/L) | |
Calcium, dissolved | milligrams per liter as calcium (mg/L) | |
Chloride, dissolved | milligrams per liter (mg/L) | 250 mg/L, 860 mg/L |
Computed discharge | cubic feet per second (cfs) | 57 cfs, 20 cfs |
Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) | cells per milliliter (#/ml) | |
Dissolved oxygen | milligrams per liter (mg/L) | 5 mg/L |
Dissolved phosphorus | milligrams per liter (mg/L) | |
Dissolved solids | milligrams per liter (mg/L) | 500 mg/L |
Enterococci bacteria | colonies per 100 milliliters (col/100mL) | |
Escherichia coli bacteria | colonies per 100 milliliters (col/100mL) | 262 col/100mL, 2358 col/100mL, 2358 col/100mL |
Escherichia coli bacteria | most probable number (MPN) | |
Fecal coliform bacteria | colonies per 100 milliliters (col/100mL) | 200 col/100mL, 2000 col/100mL, 2000 col/100mL |
Fluoride, dissolved | milligrams per liter as fluoride (mg/L) | 4 mg/L |
Gage height | feet (ft) | |
Geosmin | micrograms per liter (ug/L) | 0.01 ug/L |
Hardness, total | milligrams per liter as calcium carbonate (mg/L-CaCO3) | |
Lake elevation | feet (ft) | |
Magnesium, dissolved | milligrams per liter as magnesium (mg/L) | 0.076 mg/L |
Nitrate plus nitrite, dissolved | milligrams per liter as nitrogen (mg/L-N) | 10 mg/L-N |
Nitrate, dissolved | milligrams per liter as nitrogen (mg/L) | 10 mg/L |
Nitrate, total | milligrams per liter as nitrogen (mg/L-N) | 10 mg/L-N |
Nitrate, water, unfiltered, field, milligrams per liter as nitrogen | milligrams per liter (mg/L) | |
Optical backscatter | formazin backscatter units (FBU) | |
Organic nitrogen plus ammonia, total | milligrams per liter as nitrogen (mg/L-N) | 2.18 mg/L-N |
Orthophosphorus, dissolved | milligrams per liter as phosphorus (mg/L-P) | |
Particulate phosphorus | milligrams per liter (mg/L) | |
pH | standard units (std units) | 6.5 std units, 8.5 std units |
Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) | micromoles of photons per square meter per second (umol/m2/s) | |
Potassium, dissolved | milligrams per liter as potassium (mg/L) | |
Precipitation | inches (in) | |
Sodium, dissolved | milligrams per liter (mg/L) | 20 mg/L |
Specific conductance at 25 degrees Celsius | microsiemens per centimeter (uS/cm) | |
Sulfate, dissolved | milligrams per liter as sulfate (mg/L) | 250 mg/L, 1000 mg/L |
Suspended sediment | milligrams per liter (mg/L) | narrative |
Suspended sediment by regression | milligrams per liter (mg/L) | |
Suspended sediment load | tons per day (tons/day) | |
Total chlorophyll | micrograms per liter as chlorophyll (ug/L) | 7.33 ug/L |
Total nitrogen, suspended sediment | milligrams per liter as nitrogen (mg/L-N) | 2.18 mg/L-N |
Total nitrogen, water | milligrams per liter as nitrogen (mg/L-N) | |
Total phosphorus | milligrams per liter as phosphorus (mg/L-P) | 0.076 mg/L-P, 0.1 mg/L-P |
Total suspended solids | milligrams per liter (mg/L) | 100 mg/L, narrative |
Total triazine herbicides | micrograms per liter (ug/L) | |
Turbidity | formazin nephelometric units (FNU) | |
Turbidity, measured as NTU or FNU | formazin nephelometric units (FNU) | 9.9 FNU |
Water temperature | degrees Celsius (°C) |