Real-Time Water Quality

Real-Time Water-Quality

• Methods

• Selected Results

• Benefits

• Real-Time Water Quality Data

Current Studies

• Equus Beds Ground-Water Recharge Demonstration Project

• Quality of Water Flowing into the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge

• Water-Quality Study of the Lake Olathe Watershed

• Kansas River Real-Time Water-Quality Network - Coming soon

Related Studies

• TMDL Program

Background

Historically, the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) stream-gaging network provides information to resource managers and others to make informed decisions about floods and water availability. It has not been possible, however, to provide water-quality information in the same timely manner. Timely water-quality information is necessary to immediately assess the effects of urbanization and agriculture. This is extremely important for management of drinking-water supplies where human health is a major concern. To obtain immediate and continuous water-quality information, the USGS, in cooperation with other Federal and State agencies, has been using an innovative real-time monitoring approach in several Kansas studies. Continuously recorded data and data from periodic collection of water-quality samples are being used to develop surrogate relations between certain properties of water that can be measured continually and transmitted in near real time and chemical constituents of concern that cannot be measured continuously.

Map showing streamflow gaging stations and streamflow gaging stations with
water-quality monitors for the 2000 water year

Bacteria real-time water-quality diagram

Presentations

• Comparison of Estimated Sediment Loads Using Continuous Turbidity Measurements and Regression Analysis, April 30-May 2, 2002, Reno, Nevada - PDF (368 KB). View abstract at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/techniques/TSS/christensen.pdf

• Comparison of Indicator Bacteria Densities and their Relation to Turbidity in Kansas Streams, May 20-23, 2002, Madison, Wisconsin - PDF (401 KB).
  Continuous In-Situ Measurements of Turbidity in Kansas Streams, Part 1 (PDF 36.3 KB); Part 2 (PDF 123 KB), Reno, Nevada, April 30-May 2, 2002

  Continuous Turbidity Monitoring and Regression Analysis to Estimate Total Suspended Solids and Fecal Coliform Bacteria Concentrations and Loads in Real Time - PDF (1.4 MB)

  Developments in the USGS Streamflow-Gaging Station and Real-Time Data Systems in Kansas, March 5, 2002, Lawrence, Kansas - PDF (1.70 MB). View abstract

  Estimation of Nutrient Loads Using Continuous Water-Quality Monitoring and Regression Analysis Compared to Other Load-Estimating Methods, May 20-23, 2002, Madison, Wisconsin - PDF (381 KB)

  Estimating Nutrient and Bacteria Concentrations in Kansas Streams with Real-Time Water-Quality Monitoring - PDF (1.6 MB)

  Issues Related to Use of Turbidity Measurements as a Surrogate for Suspended Sediment, April 30-May 2, 2002, Reno, Nevada - PDF (535 KB). View proceedings at URL: http://water.usgs.gov/osw/techniques/TSS/ZieglerT.pdf

  Real-Time Water-Quality in Kansas, April 30-May 2, 2002, Reno, Nevada - PDF (384 KB) View proceedings at URL: http://water.usgs.gov/osw/techniques/TSS/rasmussen2.pdf

  Monitoring Water-Quantity and Quality to Help Manage Quivira National Wildlife Refuge - PDF (4.9 MB)

  Real-Time Water-Quality Monitoring to Continuously Estimate Constituent Concentrations and Loads in Kansas Streams - PDF (339 KB) or HTML version (9 KB)

Publications

• Continuous In-Situ Measurement of Turbidity in Kansas Streams, April 30-May 2, 2002, Reno, Nevada

• Continuous Turbidity Monitoring and Regression Analysis to Estimate Total Suspended Solids and Fecal Coliform Bacteria Loads in Real Time

• Continuous Monitoring and Regression Analysis to Estimate Bacteria Loads

• Issues Related to Use of Turbidity Measurements as a Surrogate for Suspended Sediment

• Real-Time Water-Quality Monitoring and Regression Analysis to Estimate Nutrient and Bacteria Concentrations in Kansas

• Real-Time Water-Quality Monitoring and Regression Analysis to Estimate Constituent Loads in Kansas Streams (abstract only)

• FS 182-99 Real-Time Water-Quality Monitoring for Protection of Wildlife at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, South-Central Kansas

• Real-Time Water-Quality Monitoring in Kansas, in Program of 19th Annual Water and the Future of Kansas Conference, March 5, 2002, Lawerence, Kansas: Manhattan, Kansas State University, p. 37. (abstract only)

• Real-Time Water-Quality in Kansas, April 30-May 2, 2002, Reno, Nevada

• WRIR 00-4126 Regression analysis and Real-Time Water-Quality Monitoring to Estimate Constituent Concentrations, Loads, and Yields in the Little Arkansas River, South-Central Kansas, 1995-99