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USGS Missouri Water Science Center

In cooperation with the City of Kansas City, Missouri, Water Services Department

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Data Series 127

Water-Quality and Biologic Data for the Blue River Basin, Kansas City Metropolitan Area, Missouri and Kansas, October 2000 to October 2004

By Donald H. Wilkison, Daniel J. Armstrong, Rebecca E. Brown, Barry C. Poulton, Jeffrey D. Cahill, and Steven D. Zaugg

Abstract

This report presents water-quality and biologic data collected in the Blue River Basin, metropolitan Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas, from October 2000 to October 2004. Data were collected in cooperation with the city of Kansas City, Missouri, Water Services Department as part of an ongoing study designed to characterize long-term water-quality trends in the basin and to provide data to support a strategy for combined sewer overflow control. These data include values of physical properties, fecal indicator bacteria densities, suspended sediment, and concentrations of major ions, nutrients, trace elements, organic wastewater compounds, and pharmaceutical compounds in base-flow and stormflow stream samples and bottom sediments. Six surface-water sites in the basin were sampled 13 times during base-flow conditions and during a minimum of 7 storms. Benthic macroinvertebrate communities are described at 10 sites in the basin and 1 site outside the basin. Water-column and bottom-sediment data from impounded reaches of Brush Creek are provided. Continuous specific conductance, pH, water-quality temperature, turbidity, and dissolved oxygen data are provided for two streams—the Blue River and Brush Creek. Sampling, analytical, and quality assurance methods used in data collection during the study also are described in the report.

Table of Contents

Abstract

Introduction

Combined Sewer Overflows

Purpose and Scope

Study Area Description

Previous Studies

Methods

Sampling Protocol

Base-Flow and Stormflow Sampling

Water-Column and Bottom-Sediment Samples

Laboratory Analysis

Quality Control and Assurance

Field Methods

Laboratory Methods

Benthic Macroinvertebrate Sampling and Metrics

Water-Quality Data

Continuous Water Quality

Nutrients

Bacteria and Suspended Sediment

Organic Wastewater Compounds

Pharmaceutical Compounds

Biologic Data

Summary

Selected References

Figures

  1. Map showing location of study area, sampling sites, wastewater treatment facilities, and area of combined storm and sanitary sewers
  2. Boxplots and time-series plots of mean daily physical properties for the Blue River near Kansas City (site 7) and Brush Creek at Rockhill Road (site 11) from October 2000 through October 2004
  3. Quantile-quantile plots of replicate samples

Tables

  1. Site number, station name, and station identification for sampling sites and types of data collected at each site
  2. Physical properties, nutrients, bacteria, and selected chemical concentrations in base-flow samples collected between June 2001 and September 2004
  3. Dissolved major ions and trace elements in base-flow samples
  4. Concentrations of selected organic wastewater compounds in base-flow samples collected between June 2001 and April 2004
  5. Concentrations of selected pharmaceutical compounds in base-flow samples
  6. Physical properties, nutrients, bacteria, and selected chemical concentrations in stormwater samples collected between October 2002 and June 2004
  7. Concentrations of selected organic wastewater compounds in stormwater samples
  8. Concentrations of selected pharmaceutical compounds in stormwater samples
  9. Nutrients, bacteria, and selected chemical concentrations in water-column samples from selected reaches of Brush Creek
  10. Nutrients, bacteria, and selected chemical concentrations in bottom-sediment samples from selected reaches of Brush Creek
  11. Concentrations of selected organic wastewater compounds in water-column and bottom-sediment samples from selected reaches of Brush Creek
  12. Concentrations of selected pharmaceutical compounds in water-column and bottom-sediment samples from selected reaches of Brush Creek
  13. Quality-control data summary for selected organic wastewater compounds in laboratory reagent spike and blank samples
  14. Quality-control data summary for selected pharmaceutical compounds in laboratory reagent spike and blank samples
  15. List of benthic macroinvertebrate metrics used and metric status for stream sites sampled in 2002 and 2003
  16. Benthic macroinvertebrate metric values for sites sampled in 2002
  17. Stream Condition Index (SCI) scores and Aquatic Life Use Support Status (ALUS) values for sites sampled in 2002
  18. Benthic macroinvertebrate metric values for sites sampled in 2003
  19. Aquatic Life Use Support Status (ALUS) values for sites sampled in February 2003
  20. Ranking of sites sampled in 2002 and 2003 for 10 proportionally scaled metrics
  21. List of macroinvertebrate taxa included in the sampling of stream sites during this study

 

Conversion Factors and Datum
Multiply By To obtain
  Length  
centimeter (cm) 0.3937 inch (in)
millimeter (mm) 0.03937 inch (in)
meter (m) 3.281 foot (ft)
kilometer (km) 0.6214 mile (mi)
  Area  
square meter (m2) 0.0002471 acre
hectare (ha) 2.471 acre
square kilometer (km2 247.1 acre
square centimeter (cm2) 0.001076 square foot (ft2)
square decimeter (dm2) 0.1076 square foot (ft2)
square centimeter (cm2) 0.1550 square inch (in2)
hectare (ha) 0.003861 square mile (mi2)
square kilometer (km2) 0.3861 square mile (mi2)
square meter (m2) 10.76 square foot (ft2)
  Volume  
liter (L) 33.82 ounce, fluid (fl.oz)
liter (L) 2.113 pint (pt)
liter (L) 1.057 quart (qt)
liter (L) 0.2642 gallon (gal)
  Flow rate  
cubic meter per second (m3/s) 35.31 cubic foot per second (ft3/s)
  Mass  
gram (g) 0.003527 ounce, avoirdupois (oz)
kilogram 2.205 pound avoirdupois (lb)

Temperature in degrees Celsius (°C) may be converted to degrees Fahrenheit (°F) as follows:
°F = (1.8 x °C) + 32

Horizontal coordinate information is referenced to the "North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)".

Specific conductance is given in microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius (μS/cm at 25°C).

Concentrations of chemical constituents in water are given either in milligrams per liter (mg/L) or micrograms per liter (μ/L).

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For more information about USGS activities in Missouri contact:

Director

U.S. Geological Survey

Missouri Water Science Center

1400 Independence Road

Rolla, Missouri 65401

Telephone: (573) 308-3667

Fax: (573) 308-3645


or access the USGS Water Resources of Missouri home page at:  http://mo.water.usgs.gov/.