What Do We Monitor?
KICP Partners monitor an extensive number of water quality analytes across a variety of conditions and locations. For the purpose of discussion and analysis, the parameters focused on in this report have been divided into several groups:
General Water Quality: This category includes key physical and chemistry parameters, which can help determine watershed patterns and identify activities that impact stream water quality.
Nutrients: This category includes parameters that have a strong influence on the balance of stream ecosystems, affecting the diversity and health of aquatic species.
Bacteria (E. coli): E. coli are a large and diverse group of bacteria that are mostly harmless. However, high levels can indicate the possible presence of pathogens.
Metals: Parameters included in this category include specific metals that are known to be present in Wastewater Treatment Facility effluent or in the natural geology of these watersheds.
In a watershed with Municipal Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) discharges, parameters are carefully selected to assess impacts of constituents from wastewater. Key parameters, such as nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus), dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, and E. coli, are chosen for monitoring based on their relevance to water quality standards and to assess compliance over time and their role in maintaining ecosystem balance.
The tables below list water quality parameters that are included in the KICP monitoring program and considered to be key to monitoring and managing the health of the watershed. Units used in this report and typical method detection limits (MDLs) are included in this table. MDLs are the value above which a method can confidently report a data point that is not zero.
TIP: View parameter definitions below the tables
Key Parameters Monitored by KICP Partners
General Water Quality
Physical Parameters
Chemistry Parameters
Bacteria
Nutrients
Metals
Parameter Definitions
General Water Quality
Temperature
Water temperature affects levels of dissolved oxygen, chemical reactions, and the health of aquatic species. High temperatures can stress organisms and reduce oxygen levels. Temperature is primarily controlled by weather but can also be influenced by human activities and discharges.
pH
The pH scale is used to specify how acidic or basic water is. A pH of 7 is considered neutral, values below 7 are acidic, and above 7 are basic. The acceptable range is 6.5 to 9.0 to support healthy aquatic life within the watershed. Since the pH scale is logarithmic, small changes reflect significant shifts; for example, a pH of 6 is 10 times more acidic than a pH of 7.
Dissolved Oxygen
Dissolved oxygen (DO) is essential for aquatic life and is affected by temperature and organic matter. Pollution can lower DO levels, and low levels can stress fish and other organisms. Streams impacted by pollution can create an oxygen demand on the stream, pulling oxygen out of the water by oxidation. DO can be expressed as concentration (mg/L) or as percent saturation, which is directly related to temperature, since the capacity of water to absorb oxygen decreases as temperature increases. The area monitored by KICP has both cold and warm water classified streams.
Alkalinity
Alkalinity, expressed as milligrams of calcium carbonate per liter, represents the presence of bicarbonates and carbonates in water and indicates the buffering capacity or ability to neutralize acids. A higher buffering capacity can reduce the potential for pH swings during photosynthesis (removing carbon dioxide) by primary producers (algae) and plant growth. A minimum alkalinity of 20 mg/L is the aquatic life criteria recommended by the EPA.
Hardness
Water hardness refers to the concentration of dissolved minerals, primarily calcium and magnesium, in the water, and in some instances also chloride and sulfate. Higher hardness levels tend to reduce toxicity by binding metals to various components and making the metals less bioavailable or harmful to aquatic species.
Conductivity
Conductivity measures water’s ability to carry an electrical current, indicating the presence of dissolved minerals or pollutants. It’s influenced by the geology with typical values between 50-1500 µS/cm. Higher temperatures increase conductivity, so measurements are adjusted to standardize at 25°C and reported as specific conductance (µS/cm at 25 ⁰C). Specific conductance is referred to as “conductivity” in this report.
Suspended Solids
Total Suspended Solids (TSS) quantifies concentrations of suspended sediment and other particulates in water. Suspended solids in streams include both organic material, such as algal cells and other microorganisms, and inorganic particulate matter, such as silt, clay, and other particles. Total suspended solids are typically driven by increased streamflow from seasonal runoff or storm events that mobilize organic and inorganic particulate matter.
Anions: Chloride and Sulfate
Chloride and sulfate are the major anions (negative ions) that play a role in conductivity and can be indicators of pollutants entering a watershed due to de-icing activities, treated wastewater discharge, stormwater runoff, naturally elevated conditions in groundwater, etc. Conductivity is a measure of the ability of water to conduct electricity, which is a function of all the dissolved ions in solution. Since chloride and sulfate are ions in solution, any increase in their concentrations increases conductivity.
Cations: Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, and Potassium
The major cations (positive ions) that contribute to dissolved solids concentration in water are typically calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium. These ions can also indicate pollutants entering a watershed such as de-icing products, treated wastewater discharge, stormwater runoff, etc.
Organic Carbon
Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) provides a measure of all organic compounds in a waterbody and can provide insight into the carbon-based components or pollution of water. Major components of organic carbon and other organic compounds can impact water quality and often darken the water color.
Bacteria
E. coli
Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a large and diverse group of bacteria commonly found in the digestive systems of warm-blooded animals. While most E. coli strains are harmless, some can cause illness. Monitoring E. coli in water is simpler than testing for all potential pathogens, and is the EPA-approved method for measuring bacteria and viruses that could pose health risks. E. coli measurements indicate the possible presence of pathogens but do not reveal the source of the contamination or distinguish between harmless and harmful bacteria.
Nutrients
Total Phosphorus (TP)
Phosphorus concentrations in freshwater are impacted by erosion of soil particles from steep slopes, disturbed ground, surface runoff containing phosphorus from fertilizers, wastewater effluent, and decaying organic matter. Total Phosphorus (TP) is the measure of all phosphorus in a sample and includes inorganic, oxidizable organic, and polyphosphates.
Nitrogen
Nitrogen can exist in organic, inorganic, particulate, gaseous, and soluble forms. Organic nitrogen often makes its way into streams by surface runoff with residuals from agriculture and stormwater sources. The soluble, inorganic oxidized forms are Nitrate (NO3-) and Nitrite (NO2-). When these are present in surface water they are often available for biological uptake. The reduced inorganic form is Ammonia (NH3), generally found in low-oxygen environments. Ammonia can enter the aquatic environment via direct means such as municipal effluent discharges and animal waste, and indirect means such as nitrogen fixation, air deposition, and runoff from agricultural lands.
The total of all nitrogen in the water is Total Nitrogen (TN), calculated by adding the measured forms of organic nitrogen, nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia.
Metals
Metals, including Aluminum, Arsenic, Copper, Iron, Manganese, Selenium, Silver, Uranium and Zinc are naturally present in small amounts in watersheds. Human activities such as mining, industrial discharges, urban runoff, and wastewater can increase the concentrations of these metals. When monitoring water quality, the concentration of both dissolved and total metals is typically measured. Dissolved metals are those that remain in the water column, while total metals include both dissolved and particle-bound forms.
The toxicity of metals to aquatic life is influenced by several factors, including pH, hardness, and the presence of other substances. For instance, higher water hardness can reduce metal toxicity by binding metals and making them less bioavailable.