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) |
