U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Scientific Investigations Report 2004−5047

Prepared in cooperation with the 

CITY OF OLATHE, KANSAS and the

KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to 

Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe

Watershed, Northeast Kansas, 2000−02 
Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and 

Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in

the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

By David P. Mau, Andrew C. Ziegler, Stephen D. Porter, and Larry M. Pope

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Prepared in cooperation with the 

CITY OF OLATHE, KANSAS, and the

KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

Scientific Investigations Report 2004–5047
U.S. Department of the Interior

Gale A. Norton, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

Charles G. Groat, Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2004

For sale by U.S. Geological Survey, Information Services

Box 25286, Denver Federal Center

Denver, CO 80225

For more information about the USGS and its products:

Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS

World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov/

Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply 

endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to 

reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report.

Suggested citation:

Mau, D.P., Ziegler, A.C., Porter, S.D., and Pope, L.M., 2004, Surface-water-quality conditions and relation to taste-andodor occurrences in the Lake Olathe watershed, northeast Kansas, 2000–02: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific 

Investigations Report 2004–5047, 95 p.

Prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey in Lawrence, Kansas (http://ks.water.usgs.gov)
 iii

Contents

Abstract. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Purpose and Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Description of Lake Olathe Watershed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Previous Investigations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Acknowledgments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Onsite Measurements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Sample Collection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Laboratory Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Statistical Methods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Calculation of Loads and Yields. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Quality Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Surface-Water-Quality Conditions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Water Chemistry of Cedar Creek and Lake Olathe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Physical Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Suspended Sediment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Major Ions and Dissolved Solids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Nutrients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Forms of Nitrogen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Forms of Phosphorus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Selected Trace Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Selected Pesticides. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Suspended Sediment and Nutrient Loads and Yields in Cedar Creek and Lake Olathe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Estimated Sediment and Nutrient Loads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Estimated Nutrient Yields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Nutrient Limiting Factors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Relation of Chlorophyll and Nutrients to Trophic State of Lake Olathe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Atrazine Loads in Cedar Creek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Bacteria Densities, Loads, and Yields in Cedar Creek and Lake Olathe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Comparison of Bacteria Densities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Estimated Bacteria Loads and Yields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Phytoplankton Characteristics of Lake Olathe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Community Composition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Species Diversity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Relation to Environmental Factors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Occurrence and Implications of Microcystis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in Lake Olathe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Estimation of Taste-and-Odor Occurrences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Relation to Actinomycetes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Statistical Models for Estimation of Geosmin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
iv 

References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Supplemental Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Figures

1. Map showing location of Lake Olathe watershed in northeast Kansas, water-quality sampling 

sites, and land use. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

2. Photograph showing multiparameter monitor used to measure specific conductance, pH, 

watertemperature,turbidity,dossolved oxygen, and fluorescence in water during sample 

collection and forin-streamand in-lake continuous monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

3–14. Graphs showing:

3. Concentrations of chlorophyll-a in water samples analyzed using high-performance liquid 

chromatography in relation to concentrations analyzed using a continuous real-time 

fluorometerin Lake Olathe near dam, 2001–02 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

4. Mean daily (A) specific conductance and turbidity, and (B) pH, water temperature, and 

dissolved oxygen in water from Cedar Creek at Highway 56, 2001–02. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

5. Mean daily (A) specific conductance and turbidity, and (B) pH, water temperature, and 

dissolved oxygen in waterfrom Lake Olathe near dam, 2001–02. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

6. Mean daily stream discharge from Cedar Creek at Highway 56, 2001–02 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

7. Water temperature variation with depth in Lake Olathe near dam, 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

8. Concentrations of atrazine in water samples analyzed using immunoassay in relation to 

concentrationsanalyzed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry for Cedar Creek 

atHighway 56 and Lake Olathe near dam, 2000–02. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

9. Detection frequency of selected pesticide compounds in water from Cedar Creek at 

Highway 56 and Lake Olathe near dam, 2000–02, at concentrations greater than or equalto 

0.01microgram per liter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

10. Concentrations of atrazine in water samples collected from Cedar Creek at Highway 56 

and Lake Olathe, 2000–02 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

11. Estimated seasonal loads of suspended sediment and selected nutrients compared to 

seasonal precipitation for Cedar Creek at Highway 56, 2001–02 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

12. Total biovolume in epilimnion of Lake Olathe near dam, 2000–02. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

13. Relative percentage abundance of phytoplankton divisions and geosmin concentrations 

in Lake Olathe near dam, 2000–02. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

14. Concentrations of geosmin, actinomycetes, and microcystin in Lake Olathe near dam,

April–October 2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Tables

1. Physical characteristics of Cedar Lake and Lake Olathe near Olathe, northeast Kansas. . . . . . . . . . . . .4

2. Statistical summary describing physical properties, organic carbon, and suspended-sediment 

concentrations in water from Cedar Creek at Highway 56 and Lake Olathe, northeast Kansas, 

2000–02. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

3. Statistical summary describing major-ion and dissolved-solids concentrations in water from 

CedarCreek at Highway 56 and Lake Olathe, northeast Kansas, 2000–02. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

4. Statistical summary describing nutrient concentrations in water from Cedar Creek at Highway 56 

and Lake Olathe, northeast Kansas, 2000–02. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
 v

5. Summary of regression model equations for selected constituents in water from Cedar Creek at 

Highway 56, Olathe, northeast Kansas, 2000–02. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

6. Summary of regression model equations for selected constituents in water from epilimnion of 

LakeOlathe near dam, northeast Kansas, 2000–02. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

7. Statistical summary describing selected trace-element concentrations in water from Cedar Creek 

atHighway 56 and Lake Olathe, northeast Kansas, 2000–02. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

8. Statistical summary describing selected pesticide concentrations in water from Cedar Creek at 

Highway 56 and Lake Olathe, northeast Kansas, 2000–02 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

9. Summary of estimated seasonal and annual loads of suspended sediment and nutrient loads in 

CedarCreek at Highway 56, Olathe, northeast Kansas, 2001–02 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

10. Estimated annual and mean annual nutrient loads and yields for Cedar Creek at Highway 56, 

Olathe, northeast Kansas, 2001–02. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

11. Ranges in nutrient yields from nonpoint sources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

12. Total estimated sediment deposition, phosphorus concentrations, and phosphorus loads and 

yields for selected reservoirs in Kansas, 1995–2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

13. Limiting factor analysis for Lake Olathe near dam, northeast Kansas, 2000–02 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

14. Kansas lake-use impairment identification system. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

15. Mean trophic-state index values for Lake Olathe near dam, northeast Kansas, 2000–02. . . . . . . . . . . 42

16. Hydraulic residence-time analysis for Lake Olathe near dam, northeast Kansas, 2001–02 . . . . . . . . . 43

17. Seasonal and total annual estimates of atrazine loads in Cedar Creek at Highway 56, northeast 

Kansas, 2001–02. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

18. Statistical summary describing bacteria concentrations in water from Cedar Creek at 

Highway 56and Lake Olathe, northeast Kansas, 2000–02 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

19. Seasonal and annual estimates of bacteria loads and yields from Cedar Creek at Highway 56, 

northeastKansas, 2001–02 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

20. Statistical summary describing phytoplankton-related concentrations in water from Cedar 

Creek atHighway 56 and Lake Olathe, northeast Kansas, 2000–02 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

21. Simpson’s and Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index values for Cedar Creek at Highway 56 and 

epilimnion of Lake Olathe near dam, northeast Kansas, 2000–02. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

22. Specifications for the multiparameter YSI 6600 monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

23. Inorganic water-quality constituents, parameter codes, and detection levels for water-quality 

samples collected from Cedar Creek at Highway 56 and Lake Olathe near Olathe, northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

24. Organic water-quality constituents, parameter codes, and reporting limits for samples 

collected fromCedar Creek at Highway 56 and Lake Olathe near Olathe, northeast Kansas,

2000–02 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

25. Results of equipment and rinse blank analysis of water-quality samples collected from Lake 

Olathe near Olathe, northeast Kansas, 2000–02 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

26. Results of replicate sample analysis for water-quality samples collected from LakeOlathe near dam, 

northeast Kansas, 2001–02 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

27. Phytoplankton taxa, biovolume, and relative percentage abundance in water from Cedar Creek 

atHighway 56, northeast Kansas, 2000–02. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

28. Phytoplankton taxa, biovolume, and relative percentage abundance in water from Lake Olathe 

near dam, northeastKansas, 2000–02. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
vi 

Conversion Factors, Water-Quality Abbreviations, 

Datums, and Acronymns

Conversion Factors

Temperatures can be converted to degrees Celsius (oC) or degrees Fahrenheit (oF) by the 

equations:

oC = 5/9 (oF – 32),

oF = 9/5 (o

C) + 32.

Water-Quality Abbreviations

(col/acre)/yr colonies per acre per year

col/mL colonies per milliliter

col/100 mL colonies per 100 milliliters

μm3/mL cubic micrometer per milliliter

μS/cm microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius

NTU nephelometric turbidity units

Datums

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

Vertical coordinate information is referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 

(NAVD 88).

Multiply By To obtain

acre 4,047 square meter (m2)

acre-foot (acre-ft) 1,233 cubic meter (m3)

acre-foot per day (acre-ft/d) 1,233 cubic meter per day (m3/d)

acre-foot per square mile (acre-ft/mi2) 476.1 cubic meter per square kilometer (m3/km2)

cubic foot per second (ft3/s) 0.02832 cubic meter per second (m3/s)

foot (ft) 0.3048 meter (m)

gram per square meter per year

[(g/m2)/yr]

8.9218 pound per acre per year [(lb/acre)/yr]

inch (in.) 2.54 centimeter (cm)

meter (m) 3.281 foot (ft)

meter per year (m/yr) 3.281 foot per year (ft/yr)

mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer (km)

liter (L) 33.82 ounce, fluid (oz)

microgram per liter (μg/L) 1.0 part per billion (ppb)

micrometer (μm) 0.00003937 inch (in.)

milligram per kilogram (mg/kg) 0.00016 ounce per pound (oz/lb)

milligram per liter 1.0 part per million (ppm)

nanogram per liter (ng/L) 1.0 part per trillion (ppt)

pound (lb) 453.6 gram (g)

pound per acre (lb/acre) 1.121 kilogram per hectare (kg/ha)

pound per acre per year [(lb/acre)/yr] 1.121 kilogram per hectare per year [(kg/ha)/yr]

pound per year (lb/yr) 453.6 gram per year (g/yr)

square mile (mi2) 2.590 square kilometer (km2)
 vii

Acronyms

ANC acid-neutralizing capacity

BMP best-management practice

CA correspondence analysis

Chl chlorophyll-a analyzed at U.S. Geological Survey 

National Water-Quality Laboratory (Lakewood, 

Colorado) by high-performance liquid 

chromatography

ELISA enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

FLUOR real-time continuous fluorescence

GC/MS gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

HPLC high-performance liquid chromatography

ISO International Standardization Organization

KDHE Kansas Department of Health and Environment

LA light availability in the mixed layer

MCL Maximum Contaminant Level

MIB 2-methylisoborneol

MSE mean square error

NAD 83 North American Datum of 1983

NAT nonalgal turbidity

NAVD 88 North American Vertical Datum of 1988

NWQL National Water-Quality Laboratory

OP orthophosphate

PRESS prediction error sum of squares

PVC polyvinyl chloride

Q discharge

R2 coefficient of determination

SC specific conductance

SD Secchi depth

SMCL Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level

SSC suspended-sediment concentration

SSx sum of square of errors

TIN total inorganic nitrogen

TKN total Kjeldahl nitrogen, or total ammonia plus organic 

nitrogen

TMDL total maximum daily load

TN total nitrogen

TP total phosphorus

TSI tropic-state index

Turb turbidity

USEPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

USGS U.S. Geological Survey

WHO World Health Organization

WT water temperature

Zmix depth of mixed layer
viii 
Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Tasteand-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, 

Northeast Kansas, 2000–02

By David P. Mau, Andrew C. Ziegler, Stephen D. Porter, and Larry M. Pope

Abstract

Surface water in the Lake Olathe watershed, located in 

northeast Kansas, was sampled from June 2000 through 

December 2002 to characterize water-quality conditions in relation to physical properties, major ions, sediment, nutrients, 

selected trace elements, selected pesticides, fecal indicator bacteria, phytoplankton, and taste-and-odor compounds. In addition, two continuous real-time water-quality monitors were 

operated—one in Cedar Creek at Highway 56, the main tributary to Lake Olathe, and one in Lake Olathe, a supplemental 

domestic water supply and recreational resource for the city 

of Olathe. 

Median concentrations of dissolved and total forms of 

nitrogen and phosphorus in samples from Cedar Creek were 

larger than in samples from Lake Olathe, indicating that nutrients in the watershed were transported to Lake Olathe by Cedar 

Creek from June 2000 through December 2002. Increased concentrations of total phosphorus in samples from the hypolimnion of Lake Olathe compared to the epilimnion indicated that 

release of total phosphorus from bottom sediments occurred in 

the lake. 

Of the 50 pesticides analyzed in water samples from Cedar 

Creek and Lake Olathe, 10 pesticides were detected at concentrations greater than 0.01 microgram per liter in samples from 

Cedar Creek, and 9 pesticides were detected at concentrations 

greater than 0.01 microgram per liter in Lake Olathe, including 

four herbicides with concentrations exceeding 1.0 microgram 

per liter. Atrazine was detected at larger concentrations than 

any other pesticide in samples from both Cedar Creek and Lake 

Olathe during 2001 and 2002. Concentrations did not exceed 

the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency drinking-water 

annual average criterion of 3.0 micrograms per liter; however, 

concentrations in single samples were larger than 3.0 micrograms per liter.

Regression analysis was used to assist in the estimation of 

sediment and chemical loads and yields. The estimated mean 

orthophosphate load for 2001 and 2002 represented 29 percent 

of the total phosphorus load to Lake Olathe. Estimated yields 

to Lake Olathe of both total nitrogen and total phosphorus, 

13.0 and 1.1 pounds per acre per year, respectively, were 

consistent with mixed agricultural land use occurring in the 

watershed.

Concentrations of fecal coliform bacteria samples from 

Lake Olathe were less than both primary and secondary singlesample criteria for recreational water in Kansas in place at the 

time of sampling. Sufficient samples were not collected to 

compare to the December 2003 Kansas Department of Health 

and Environment criteria, but single-sample Escherichia coli

samples collected from Cedar Creek during storm runoff 

exceeded 2,000 colonies per 100 milliliters of water (former 

secondary recreation water-quality criterion for fecal coliform 

bacteria) in four of the seven samples collected. 

Water from Cedar Creek and Lake Olathe was analyzed in 

2002 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for microcystinLR, a toxic algal compound. Concentrations of microcystin-LR 

in Lake Olathe during 2002 ranged from less than 0.1 to 

0.41 microgram per liter, which is not considered a significant 

health risk according to guidelines published by the World 

Health Organization.

Regression models were developed for four taste-and-odor 

phytoplankton species detected frequently in Lake Olathe— 

Melosira granulata, Anabaena, Oscillatoria, and Cryptomonas. The coefficient of determinations, R2

, ranged from 0.64 to 

0.89, and p-values ranged from less than 0.001 to 0.014, indicating a statistically significant relation with lake-residence 

time, specific conductance, turbidity, Secchi transparency 

depth, real-time continuous fluorescence, and total ammonia 

plus organic nitrogen as nitrogen.

Actinomycetes, filamentous bacteria that are known producers of geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol (MIB), were sampled and analyzed in 2002 in water from Cedar Creek and Lake 

Olathe. In Lake Olathe, actinomycetes concentrations ranged 

from 4 to 64 colonies per milliliter of water, and geosmin concentrations ranged from less than 5.0 to 12.0 nanograms per 

liter. MIB was detected once at a concentration of 6.0 nanograms per liter.

A regression model for geosmin, a taste-and-odor 

compound, was developed in an effort to predict taste-and-odor 

occurrences. The regression model developed for geosmin used 

Secchi depth, specific conductance, and turbidity. The coefficient of determination, R2

, was 0.70, and the p-value was 

0.0016, which indicated a statistically significant relation. 

However, the use of Secchi transparency depth in the model 
2 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

prevented the development of a similar model using only continuous real-time water-quality sensors operated during the 

study.

Introduction

Lake Olathe, located in Johnson County, northeast Kansas, 

was impounded in 1956 as a domestic water supply for the citizens of Olathe. In addition to providing drinking water, the lake 

is an important recreational resource (fig. 1). Since impoundment of the lake, drinking water from Lake Olathe has had 

almost annual taste-and-odor problems (Lee and Sears, 1985). 

Although the water can be treated to remove taste and odor, 

the process is expensive and does not address the causes of 

the problem.

In 2000, the city of Olathe in cooperation with the U.S. 

Geological Survey (USGS) and with financial and technical 

support from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

(USEPA), began an investigation to evaluate the water quality 

of the Lake Olathe watershed. The goal of the ongoing investigation is to improve understanding of the concentrations of 

chemicals in stream and lake water and to identify the conditions and processes in the lake and watershed that lead to algal 

growth and taste-and-odor problems in drinking water from 

Lake Olathe. The information from this investigation will assist 

the city of Olathe in developing a comprehensive watershed 

protection plan and can be used to inform the community of the 

importance of maintaining and protecting water quality in 

Lake Olathe.

Purpose and Scope

The purposes of this report are to: (1) describe the surfacewater-quality conditions in Lake Olathe and the Lake Olathe 

watershed; (2) evaluate the concentrations and loads in water 

from Cedar Creek and Lake Olathe for sediment and nutrients 

(forms of nitrogen and phosphorus) and the concentrations of 

selected trace elements, selected pesticides, and algal species 

(phytoplankton); (3) describe the chemical and biological processes that are responsible for taste-and-odor occurrences in 

drinking water from Lake Olathe; and (4) evaluate the relation 

of continuous real-time water-quality constituents to selected 

chemicals and taste-and-odor causing compounds [geosmin, 2-

methylisoborneol (MIB)] associated with algae. The investigation included selected seasonal and varying hydrologic condition water-quality sampling of both Cedar Creek and Lake 

Olathe from June 2000 through December 2002. Continuous 

real-time water-quality instruments were placed in Cedar Creek 

and Lake Olathe and operated from October 1, 2000, through 

December 31, 2002. 

The report provides estimates of loading of sediment, 

nutrients, and other selected chemicals to Lake Olathe. 

Additionally, the water-quality sampling of Cedar Creek 

described in this report documents the contributions of Cedar 

Creek to taste-and-odor occurrences. The information can be 

used by the city of Olathe managers to understand sources of 

chemicals to Lake Olathe. 

Results of water-quality sampling and approaches 

described in this report may be used by the USGS and other 

government agencies to improve understanding of the chemical 

inputs to lakes that are responsible for algal blooms and related 

taste-and-odor occurrences in the water. The results from this 

study also will support Federal, State, and local goals toward 

implementing watershed strategies to improve water quality. 

The results also may be used by various government agencies to 

establish total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) and to evaluate 

best-management practices (BMPs) designed to mitigate nonpoint-source pollution. In addition, information from this 

report can be used to develop statistical models using 

continuous real-time monitoring data to better predict tasteand-odor occurrences.

Description of Lake Olathe Watershed

The total area of the Lake Olathe watershed is 16.9 mi2

(10,800 acres) and encompasses the drainage areas of Cedar 

Lake and Lake Olathe as well as Cedar Creek, the main tributary joining the two lakes (fig. 1). Cedar Lake has a surface area 

of about 54 acres and a 2000 storage volume of 334 acre-ft at 

the dam crest elevation of 1,001.0 ft above the NAVD 88 

(fig. 1) (Mau, 2002). Lake Olathe has a surface area of about 

170 acres and a 2000 storage volume of 3,100 acre-ft at the dam 

crest elevation of 937.5 ft above the NAVD 88. The physical 

characteristics of Cedar Lake and Lake Olathe are summarized 

in table 1.

There are approximately 1,000 people in the watershed, 

most of whom live in single-family residences and farms in the 

area (C. Adams, city of Olathe, written commun., 2001). Lake 

Olathe is located within the Olathe city limits [population of 

102,000 in 2002 (Olathe Chamber of Commerce, 2002)], the 

only city in the watershed. A public 18-hole golf course abuts 

Lake Olathe on the east side of the reservoir.

The mean annual temperature in Olathe, Kansas, is about 

55 o

F, with a mean monthly range of 29 oF in January to 79 oF 

in July (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 

1973–2002). Mean annual precipitation (1973–2002) is about 

40 in., which occurs primarily during the growing season from 

April through September (National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration, 1973–2002). 

The Lake Olathe watershed is underlain by sedimentary 

bedrock deposited during late Pennsylvanian time (about 285 to 

320 million years ago) (Lee and Sears, 1985). The bedrock is 

mostly shale, with some prominent limestone layers and sandstone. Pre-Illinoian glacial till and a thin lens of loess (windblown Pleistocene deposits) cover the bedrock. Soils in the 

watershed were formed from windblown loess, glacial outwash, 

and residuals derived from the weathering of shale and limestone bedrock (Lee and Sears, 1985).
Introduction 3

94°53'

38°53'

38°48'

52'

51'

50'

49'

52' 51' 50' 49' 94°48'

Lake Olathe 

Cedar

Lake

0

0 1 1.5 .5 2 KILOMETERS

.5 2 MILE 1 1.5 S

Ced ar Creek

Land use modified from Kansas Applied Remote Sensing digital data 1:100,000, 1993, Landsat Thematic Mapper raster imagery;

Kansas Geological Survey (1993)

Land use in Lake Olathe watershed

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:24,000, 1995

Universal Transverse Mercator projection,

Zone 15

Boundary of Lake 

 Olathe watershed

Residential

Woodland 

Water

Commercial/industrial Roads and quarries

Cropland

Grassland

EXPLANATION

City limits

of Olathe

Golf course

City limits

of Olathe

Water-quality sampling

 site and number

Site 1

Boundary of Olathe 

 city limits

Site 2

Site 3

Site 1

Creek

Cedar

Index map

Johnson

County

Study

area

Hillsdale Lake

Perry Lake

Tuttle Creek

Lake

Clinton Lake

Cheney Reservoir

Webster Reservoir

KANSAS

OLATHE

Figure 1. Location of Lake Olathe watershed in northeast Kansas, water-quality sampling sites, and land use.
4 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

Table 1. Physical characteristics of Cedar Lake and Lake Olathe near Olathe, northeast Kansas.

[--, not applicable]

Characteristic (unit of measurement) Cedar Lake Lake Olathe

Total storage volume at dam crest elevation (acre-feet), 2000 334 3,100

Surface area (acres) 54 170

Mean depth (feet) 6.20 18.2

Maximum depth (feet) 14.0 44.0

Mean annual inflow (cubic feet per second) -- 15.6

Drainage area of watershed (square miles) 6.10 10.8

Land use in the Lake Olathe watershed is primarily agricultural cropland and grassland, which represents 83 percent of 

the watershed (fig. 1) (Kansas Geological Survey, 1993). Cropproduction statistics were not available for the Lake Olathe 

watershed; therefore, the following statistics were based on figures for Johnson County where the watershed is located (fig. 1, 

index map). Crop production in the county has declined from 

108,000 acres of harvested cropland in 1960 to 71,000 acres of 

harvested cropland in 2000 (Kansas State Board of Agriculture 

and U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1960–95; Kansas Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

1996–2000). Crop production of wheat, rye, corn, oats, and sorghum declined between 1960 and 1999. However, soybean and 

all hay production increased during the same period. Residential and commercial land use in Johnson County has increased 

during the 40-year period 1960–99, and similar residential and 

commercial growth is evident in the Lake Olathe watershed, 

from 2.0 percent of the watershed in 1985 to 15 percent in 1999 

(Lee and Sears, 1985; K. Dobbs, Kansas Biological Survey, 

written commun., 2001).

Livestock production in Johnson County has been relatively stable for cattle and calves; however, annual inventories 

of hogs, sheep and lambs, and chickens have declined (Kansas 

State Board of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

1960–95; Kansas Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1996–2000). 

Previous Investigations

 Rapid urbanization and the potential effects on water 

quality in the Lake Olathe watershed led the city of Olathe to 

conduct a study of Lake Olathe in 1982 to determine the relation 

between nutrient loads and eutrophication (nutrient enrichment). The study was done with support from the USEPA 

Clean Lakes Program under Section 314–A of the Federal 

Clean Water Act of 1972. The 13-month study (1982–83) 

examined the limnology and water quality of the reservoir, estimated nutrient loads to the reservoir as well as sources of nutrients in the watershed, and projected nutrient loads in the year 

2000. Recommendations were made toward management and 

long-term monitoring of the reservoir and watershed (Lee and 

Sears, 1985). During the 1982–83 study, the population for the 

city of Olathe was about 46,500 (Lee and Sears, 1985). 

On the basis of a 1983 bathymetric survey and comparison 

to historical topographic maps, the 1982–83 study showed sediment deposition in Lake Olathe since 1956 to be about 16 acreft. Sediment loads to Lake Olathe were estimated to be about 

23.6 million lb/yr and did not include trapping of sediment in 

the more than 60 small impoundments in the watershed. Phosphorus loads calculated from water samples and estimates of 

streamflow were estimated to be 1,450 lb/yr and expected to 

increase to 1,850 lb/yr by the year 2000 because of anticipated 

increased urbanization (Lee and Sears, 1985). 

Tissue from channel catfish and other predator fish species 

were analyzed during the 1982–83 study for selected trace elements and pesticides, and detectable concentrations of these 

constituents were found. However, reservoir bottom sediment 

was not analyzed, and water-quality analysis was limited to 

nutrients and algal determinations. The 1982–83 study concluded by recommending a future, phase-two monitoring effort 

to include comprehensive reservoir water-quality sampling during the summer months at multiple locations and depths.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in cooperation with 

the Kansas Water Office, did bathymetric surveys in 2000 for 

23 small municipal lakes in Kansas, including Lake Olathe. 

The total sediment deposition to Lake Olathe on the basis of that 

investigation, from 1956 to 2000, was 30 acre-ft, or 0.67 acre-ft 

of sediment deposition per year (Kansas Water Office, 2001, 

p. 31).

In response to concerns of rapid sedimentation rates reducing the storage capacity and the quality of water in Lake Olathe, 

the USGS began a cooperative investigation with the city of 

Olathe, KDHE, and USEPA in 2000 (Mau, 2002). The purpose 

of the 2000 investigation was to provide a complete lake and 

watershed assessment of the Lake Olathe watershed. One of the 

objectives of the 2000 investigation was to identify trends in 

concentrations of selected water-quality constituents. Through 

chemical analysis and dating of sediment cores, both baseline 

conditions and trends in water-quality constituents were determined to help identify the effects of land use on receiving water 

bodies as well as to help document the effectiveness of landmanagement practices. 

 By 2000, approximately 338 acre-ft of sediment deposition had occurred in Cedar Lake since dam closure in 1938, and 
Methods 5

317 acre-ft had occurred in Lake Olathe since 1956. Mean 

annual sediment deposition was 5.45 acre-ft, or 0.89 acre-ft/mi2

for Cedar Lake, and 7.0 acre-ft, or 0.42 acre-ft/mi2

 for Lake 

Olathe. Mean annual sediment loads for the two reservoirs 

were 9.6 million lb for Cedar Lake and 12.6 million lb for Lake 

Olathe (Mau, 2002). 

The 2000 investigation also determined the mass transport 

of various constituents to Cedar Lake and Lake Olathe that can 

be useful in the establishment of TMDLs. On the basis of calculations from deposited sediment in each reservoir, mean 

annual phosphorus loads to Cedar Lake and Lake Olathe were 

estimated to be 14,700 and 9,720 lb, respectively. The mean 

annual phosphorus yields to Cedar Lake were estimated to be 

3.74 lb/acre and 0.91 lb/acre to Lake Olathe (Mau, 2002). 

During the 2000 investigation, reservoir-bottom sediment 

from Cedar Lake and Lake Olathe was analyzed for selected 

pesticides including organochlorine and organophosphate 

insecticides, acetanilide, and triazine herbicides. 

Organochlorine and organophosphate insecticides were not 

detected in bottom-sediment samples from either Cedar Lake or 

Lake Olathe, but the acetanilide herbicides alachlor and metolachlor , and the triazine herbicide, atrazine, were detected in 

sediment from both reservoirs (Mau, 2002). 

The diatoms (microscopic, single-celled organisms) 

Cyclotella bodanica, an indicator of low organic-enriched 

water, and Cyclotella meneghiniana, an indicator of organicenriched water, were both present in sediment cores from Lake 

Olathe (Mau, 2002). The presence of both of these diatoms suggests varying periods of low and high eutrophication in Lake 

Olathe from 1956 to 2000. 

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Ms. Carly Adams with the city of Olathe 

for her assistance in obtaining reference material and other 

study needs. The authors also thank Patrick Finnegan, Melinda 

Yager, Lee Kellenberger, and Stacy Rosner of the USGS 

(Lawrence, Kansas) for their help in onsite work and datacollection efforts. Additionally, the authors appreciate the editorial reviews of Lanna Combs to enhance the readability of 

the report.

Methods

Streamflow, suspended-sediment, and water-quality data 

were collected from Cedar Creek at Highway 56 in Olathe, 

Kansas, from June 2000 through December 2002 (site 1, fig. 1). 

Suspended-sediment and water-quality data were collected 

from two locations at Lake Olathe from June 2000 through 

December 2002; one sampling site was near the dam at the 

intake structure (site 2, fig. 1), and one sampling site was 

located at the upstream end of the lake (site 3, fig. 1). The 

water-quality sampling sites at Cedar Creek at Highway 56 and 

at the upstream end of Lake Olathe were chosen to characterize 

water-quality conditions from the inflow to the lake and in the 

upper section of the lake. The intake structure was chosen as a 

water-quality sampling site because lake water is removed at 

this location, treated, and used to supplement the city’s drinking-water supply. The data collected seasonally and under varying hydrologic conditions from these sampling sites were used 

to characterize water-quality conditions in the lake and watershed, and to estimate chemical loads during periods of base 

flow and runoff. Base flow was defined in this study as streamflow unaffected by storm runoff.

Onsite Measurements

Physical properties were measured in water from each of 

the three sampling sites (fig. 1) during 2000–02. Measurements 

were made at the time of sample collection and included specific conductance, pH, water temperature, turbidity, dissolved 

oxygen, fluorescence, and alkalinity. Measurements for these 

constituents, except alkalinity, were made using a YSI 6600 

multiparameter instrument calibrated prior to sampling on the 

basis of methods described in Wagner and others (2000). Alkalinity was measured using an incremental titration method. During sampling periods in Lake Olathe, the multiparameter 

instrument was used to measure physical properties at each 

sampling site from the water surface to the bottom of the lake 

in 2-ft increments. 

A continuously recording YSI 6600 multiparameter instrument (fig. 2) was installed in July 2000 in Cedar Creek at Highway 56, Olathe, Kansas (site 1), and in Lake Olathe near the 

dam (site 2). The multiparameter instrument installed in Lake 

Olathe near the dam (site 2) was adjusted and maintained at 

10 ft below the water surface near the water-supply intake. 

Water-quality parameters measured at these sites from 

October 1, 2000, through December 31, 2002, included specific 

conductance, pH, water temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, and fluorescence as a measure of total chlorophyll. Specifications for the YSI multiparameter monitor are presented in 

table 22 in the “Supplemental Information” section of this 

report. Turbidity measurements, a measure of water clarity, for 

this study were made with a YSI 6026 sensor that conforms to 

International Standardization Organization (ISO) Method 7027 

(International Standardization Organization, 1999). Turbidity 

values from other turbidity sensors may not be comparable to 

turbidity values used in this report (Sadar, 2002; Ziegler, 2002). 

The water-quality monitors were inspected onsite by USGS 

personnel approximately monthly to maintain calibration. 

Guidelines and standard procedures for maintaining the waterquality monitors are described in Wagner and others (2000).

In addition, water-level data in Cedar Creek and Lake 

Olathe were recorded at 15-minute intervals using pressure 

transducers. Streamflow measurements were made to establish 

and maintain the relation between stage and discharge at the 

Cedar Creek site (Buchanan and Somers, 1969; Kennedy, 

1984). Water-level readings were transmitted every 4 hours by 
6 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

satellite to the USGS office in Lawrence, Kansas, and were

made available in real time on the World Wide Web 

(http://ks.water.usgs.gov/Kansas/rtqw/ and 

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ks/nwis/). 

Sample Collection

Water samples were collected seasonally and under varying hydrologic conditions from one inflow site on Cedar Creek 

(site 1) and two lake sites (sites 2 and 3) (fig. 1) and analyzed 

for concentrations of suspended sediment, major ions, nutrients, 

trace metals, and selected pesticides. Samples were collected 

manually using depth- and width-integrated methods described 

by Edwards and Glysson (1988) and Wilde and Radke (1998). 

Water samples were analyzed for suspended-sediment concentration at the USGS sediment laboratory in Iowa City, Iowa, 

according to methods presented in Guy (1969). 

Chemical concentrations may vary depending on whether 

sampling occurs during runoff, during periods of low flow, or 

different times of the year. To define this variability, samples 

were collected seasonally and under varying hydrologic 

conditions. Water samples were collected from Cedar Creek 

at 10 equal-width increment locations along a transect. The 

creek samples were composited in either a 14-L polyethylene 

churn or stainless-steel canister and transported to the USGS 

office in Lawrence, Kansas, for processing within 2 hours of 

collection. Water samples were collected from the deeper areas 

in Lake Olathe using Teflon tubing and a peristaltic pump and 

from the lake surface by dipping a stainless-steel canister into 

the lake or using a depth-integrated vertical sampler consisting 

of 2-in. outside-diameter polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe with a 

check valve that came in 6-ft lengths that were expandable to 

18 ft. The lake samples were composited in either a 14-L polyethylene churn or stainless-steel canister and transported to the 

USGS office in Lawrence, Kansas, for processing. 

Samples for bacteria analysis were collected at the Cedar 

Creek inflow site (site 1) in sterile 1-L bottles from the center of 

flow in the stream. Samples were chilled and processed within 

6 hours of collection using methods described by Myers and 

Wilde (1999).

Dissolved

oxygen

Fluorescence Turbidity

pH

Water

temperature

Specific

conductance

Figure 2. Multiparameter monitor used to measure specific conductance, pH, water 

temperature, turbidity, dossolved oxygen, and fluorescence in water during sample 

collection and for in-stream and in-lake continuous monitoring.
Methods 7

One estimate of trophic state is chlorophyll-a, the primary 

pigment in phytoplankton that produces chemical energy. 

However, chlorophyll-a should only be considered as an 

approximation of the true algal biomass because chlorophyll-a

concentrations can be affected by other environmental factors 

and analytical methods (Britton and Greeson, 1989). In this 

study, a fluorometric probe was installed on the real-time waterquality instrument and used as a surrogate to continuously measure chlorophyll-a, although it is understood that fluorometric 

probes cannot differentiate among chlorophyll-a, b, and c. In 

addition to chlorophyll-a, the fluorometric probe also may be 

measuring unidentified inorganic and organic fluorescing material. Although there was no evident relation in Lake Olathe 

between chlorophyll-a concentrations analyzed using highperformance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and a real-time 

continuous fluorometric probe (fig. 3), the parameters measured 

by the fluorometric probe were statistically significant in the 

development of regression models for orthophosphate and

Cryptomonas, a taste-and-odor related species of phytoplankton. Measurements made using the fluorometer will be referred 

to in this study as real-time continuous fluorescence and will be 

used in analyses requiring chlorophyll-a concentrations.

Water samples used for analysis of phytoplankton enumeration and abundance, geosmin, and MIB were collected manually from Cedar Creek and the two lake sites (fig. 1). Samples 

were collected using depth- and width-integrated methods 

described by Edwards and Glysson (1988) and Wilde and 

others (1999). 

Laboratory Methods

Water samples from all three sites were analyzed at the 

USGS National Water-Quality Laboratory (NWQL) in Denver, 

Colorado, for major ions, nutrients, selected trace elements, and 

selected pesticides . Analytical methods, reporting limits, and 

detection levels are presented in tables 23 and 24 (in “Supplemental Information” section of this report). The reporting limit 

is the laboratory reportable corrected concentration that 

accounts for nontargeted compounds that can interfere with the 

sample analysis. The detection level is the smallest concentration that can be reported under ideal conditions.

An additional analysis of water samples for atrazine, a preand post-emergent herbicide used in the production of corn, 

grain sorghum, and other plants, was done using enzyme-linked 

immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and verified using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) (Zaugg and others, 

1995). The ELISA and GC/MS analyses were done at the 

USGS Organic Geochemistry Research Laboratory in 

Lawrence, Kansas. Atrazine concentrations were determined 

using a commercially available competitive ELISA (Abraxis 

LLC, Hatboro, Pennsylvania). ELISA is a method of analysis 

that relies on specific interactions between antibodies and antigens (analytes). A colorimetric response is produced and measured using a spectrophotometer and compared with a calibration curve that is run with each assay. The method reporting 

limit is 0.10 μg/L (Bushway and others, 1988). The atrazine 

assay detected atrazine and related triazine compounds to 

0

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20

2

4

6

8

10

14

16

18

12

20

22

24

26

28

30

32

34

Chlorophyll-a concentration analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), in micrograms per liter

Chlorophyll-a concentration analyzed using continuous fluorometer,

in micrograms per liter

Figure 3. Concentrations of chlorophyll-a in water samples analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography in 

relation to concentrations analyzed using a continuous real-time fluorometer in Lake Olathe near dam (site 2), 2001–02.
8 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

different degrees. Therefore, a subset of samples was analyzed 

using more specific GC/MS to confirm the ELISA results. 

The membrane filter technique was used for bacteria analysis, although this method may underestimate the number of 

viable coliform bacteria (Eaton and others, 1995). For ideal 

counts of fecal coliform, the 95-percent confidence interval for 

the lower limit of the ideal range is 20 to 60 colonies with corresponding confidence-interval widths of +9 to +15 colonies (or 

+25 to 45 percent) (Rasmussen and Ziegler, 2003). Ideal plate 

counts for Escherichia coli (E. coli) range from 20 to 80 colonies with corresponding confidence interval widths ranging 

from + 9 to +18 colonies. Bacteria densities calculated on the 

basis of counts outside of these ranges were considered nonideal counts. Ideal and nonideal counts were used during analysis of bacteria data.

Phytoplankton samples were identified and enumerated by 

BSA Environmental Services, Beachwood, Ohio, using a Leica 

inverted compound microscope with 150X, 300X, 600X, and 

1,000X objectives and epifluorescence. The magnification used 

depended on the size of the dominant taxa and the size and number of particulates. The goal was to count at multiple magnifications to correctly enumerate and identify taxa present that 

varied in size by several orders of magnitude. If the sample was 

dominated by cells or natural units less than 10 to 20 μm or if 

the cells were fragile and difficult to identify, the majority of 

counting was completed at 600X to 1,000X magnification.

Natural units enumerated included single cells, filaments, 

or colonies. The abundance of all phytoplankton taxa was calculated as cells per liter and then multiplied by the biovolume 

for one cell of that species. The abundance of common taxa was 

estimated by random field counts. The goal, regardless of magnification, was to enumerate and identify a minimum of 

400 natural units per sample exclusive of miscellaneous 

microflagellates. Extremely sparse samples or samples with 

high particulates yielded less than 400 natural units. For samples with common colonies or filaments, the counts included 

several thousand cells because total cell numbers of multicell 

units (colonies, filaments) were quantified. In accord with Lund 

and others (1958), the data were accurate to within 90-percent 

confidence limits.

Microcystis is a cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) genus 

that includes both toxic and nontoxic members. Toxic cyanobacteria blooms are an emerging issue in the United States and 

the world because of increased source-water nutrient pollution 

caused by eutrophication. Toxic Microcystis populations can 

synthesize microcystin, a hepatotoxin that can cause health concerns when it occurs in drinking water or recreational reservoirs. Analysis of microcystin was done using an ELISA 

method. The analysis was done at the USGS Organic 

Geochemistry Research Laboratory in Lawrence, Kansas. 

Microcystin concentrations were determined using a commercially available ELISA (Abraxis LLC, Hatboro, Pennsylvania). 

The method reporting limit was 0.10 μg/L. 

Actinomycetes, a bacteria that is typically filamentous and 

can cause an earthy smell in drinking water and “muddy” tastes 

in fish, were enumerated to assess water quality in Lake Olathe. 

Actinomycetes occur in most soils, usually in the top 6 to 12 in., 

where most of the materials exist that support their life. They 

are an essential part of plant growth cycles as they are the primary decomposers of tough plant-tissue residues such as tree 

bark, wood-pulp type materials, and plant stems. The earthy 

smell of soil is caused by the presence of actinomycetes. 

Geosmin and MIB also have been isolated from actinomycetes, 

and researchers have shown that actinomycetes produce a variety of odorous compounds, including those that smell woody 

and like a potato bin (Gerber and Lechavalier, 1965; 

Gerber, 1969). The analysis of actinomycetes was done by the 

USGS Microbiological Laboratory in Columbus, Ohio, using 

a double-layer agar-plating method described in Eaton and 

others (1995).

Analytical quality control of phytoplankton enumeration 

and identification consisted of replicate analysis of samples. 

Chlorophyll-a and b were determined by NWQL using highperformance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods as 

described in Britton and Greeson (1989). 

Geosmin and MIB were analyzed using gas chromatography (GC) (Zimmerman and others, 2002). The analysis was 

done at the USGS Organic Geochemistry Research Laboratory 

in Lawrence, Kansas, and replicate analysis was done by MWH 

Laboratories, Monrovia, California, a contract laboratory to the 

city of Olathe, Kansas. The method was suitable for the determination of nanogram-per-liter concentrations of geosmin and 

MIB in filtered, natural water samples. Suspended particulate 

matter was removed from the samples by filtration, so the 

method measured only dissolved-phase compounds. Qualitycontrol practices included evaluation of laboratory blank and 

spiked samples, instrument performance, and corrective 

actions. Compounds eluting from the GC column were identified by comparing their measured ions and retention times to 

reference ions and retention times obtained by the measurement 

of spiked control samples analyzed under the same conditions 

used for the water samples. The method reporting limit for both 

compounds was 5.0 ng/L. The upper reporting limit was 

100 ng/L without dilution.

Statistical Methods

Regression models were developed using S-Plus Statistical Software (MathSoft, Inc., 1999) to describe relations 

between water-quality results from discrete, manually collected 

samples and the continuously recorded water-quality sensor 

measurements (specific conductance, pH, temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, and fluorescence as a measure of total 

chlorophyll), streamflow, suspended-sediment concentration, 

and time. S-Plus will not generate regression models if there are 

missing data for any constituents being modeled. Therefore, for 

some constituents in this study, the number of samples used in 

the model may be less than the number of samples available. 

Site-specific regression models were developed using plots of 

each possible explanatory variable against the response variable 

and visually examining the plots of the residuals for patterns. 
Methods 9

Explanatory and response variables (except time) were log 

transformed, if necessary, to remove nonlinearity in the data. A 

residence-time parameter also was used as an explanatory variable in developing regression models for Lake Olathe. The residence time was defined in this study as the number of continuous days prior to sampling that the elevation of Lake Olathe was 

below the spillway elevation of 937.5 ft. Lake Olathe mean 

daily elevation data are presented in Putnam and others (2002), 

and Putnam and Schneider (2003).

An overall model-building method was used (Helsel and 

Hirsch, 1992, p. 312–314). Generally, if there were several 

acceptable models ( p-value less than 0.05), the one with the 

lowest prediction error sum of squares (PRESS) statistic was 

chosen. A p-value of 0.05 indicates a 95-percent confidence 

that the data sets being compared are different. PRESS is one of 

the best measures of the goodness of fit of a regression model 

(Helsel and Hirsch, 1992, p. 248). Explanatory variables were 

included in a model only if there was a physical basis or explanation for their inclusion. For variables that were log transformed, retransformation of regression-estimated concentrations was necessary. However, retransformation can cause an 

underestimation of chemical loads when adding individual load 

estimates over a long period of time. A Duan’s bias correction 

factor or smear factor (Duan, 1983) was applied to the annual 

load calculation to correct for this underestimation. 

Cohn and others (1989), and Hirsch and others (1993) provide additional information on interpreting the results of regression-based load estimates. Uncertainty of the estimates for 

regression models was determined using 90-percent prediction 

intervals (Helsel and Hirsch, 1992). Probabilities of exceeding 

water-quality standards, recommended criteria, or guidelines of 

the State of Kansas and USEPA also were determined. Regression methods are described in Helsel and Hirsch (1992), Hirsch 

and others (1993), Christensen and others (2000), and Rasmussen and Ziegler (2003).

The t-statistic also was evaluated and is a measure of the 

significance of the coefficients, and therefore of the variables, 

in the regression equations. Coefficients in the equations that 

have an absolute t-statistic larger than 2.0 are considered significant and indicate a statistically significant relation to a constituent concentration (Journey and Gill, 2001, p. 32). Correspondence analysis (CA), a statistical procedure to uncover the 

underlying structure of a relatively large set of variables, was 

done for phytoplankton data from Lake Olathe to show how 

samples are grouped solely on the basis of differences in the relative biovolume of species among samples and how species 

are grouped in relation to their occurrence in samples 

(Davis, 1986). 

Although continuous water-quality monitors can readily 

measure in-lake physical characteristics such as pH, water temperature, and turbidity, sources of taste-and-odor compounds 

can only be estimated on a continuous basis using regression 

analysis because specific probes for direct detection of these 

sources are not available. Statistical models were developed for 

selected phytoplankton species that may contribute to taste-andodor occurrences in Lake Olathe as well as for geosmin, a 

frequently detected taste-and-odor compound. Statistical 

models were not developed for MIB because of 

infrequent detections.

Calculation of Loads and Yields

Concentration values are important measures used to evaluate water-quality criteria; however, regulatory and resource 

managers also need load-estimate information. A chemical 

load is the chemical concentration multiplied by streamflow 

and an appropriate conversion factor, and provides an estimate 

of the mass of that chemical transported past a given site during 

a given time. Regulatory authorities may use load estimates to 

develop TMDLs or evaluate trends, which can be used to compare land use and other factors affecting water quality.

Estimates of yields also are important to resource managers. A yield is defined as an area-normalized load, or simply, 

the chemical load divided by the drainage area. Yields allow 

comparison of sites with different drainage areas and can be 

used to help assess and prioritize land-management practices 

within or among basins.

Annual and seasonal suspended-sediment, nutrient, atrazine, and bacteria loads were estimated for the Lake Olathe 

watershed using regression methods. Loads were computed 

from regression-estimated concentration, stream discharge, and 

a conversion factor. Nutrient loading is a measure of potential 

reservoir productivity, or the rate of biomass formation, which 

will be discussed in the section “Suspended Sediment and 

Nutrient Loads and Yields in Cedar Creek and Lake Olathe” of 

this report. Nutrient yields were calculated on the basis of estimated loads to allow comparison among other watersheds in 

Kansas. Load and yield estimates for complete calendar years 

2001 and 2002 were evaluated in this study and are presented in 

this report. 

Estimates of loads and yields for the Lake Olathe watershed were calculated from regression-estimated water-quality 

constituent concentrations, stream discharge, and appropriate 

unit conversion factors for the streamgage located on Cedar 

Creek at Highway 56 (site 1, fig. 1). The contributing-drainage 

area for this site is 7.54 mi2 (4,224 acres) and does not include 

Cedar Lake or the drainage area of Cedar Lake. The decision to 

exclude these areas (total of 6.10 mi2

; table 1) was made on the 

basis of knowledge that Cedar Lake serves as a substantial sediment trap and runoff-retention structure for its watershed. 

Therefore, the inclusion of this area in the calculation of waterquality constituent yields would have produced unrealistically 

small values for areas of the Lake Olathe watershed contributing the vast majority of constituent loads to Lake Olathe.

For the purpose of the investigation described in this 

report, the contributing-drainage area to Lake Olathe is 10.8 mi2

(6,912 acres; table 1)—total drainage area of 16.9 mi2

(10,800 acres) less the Cedar Lake drainage area of 6.10 mi2

(3,904 acres). Total water-quality constituent loads (in pounds) 

to Lake Olathe were estimated by multiplying the calculated 

yields (in pounds per acre; lb/acre) for the contributing-
10 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

drainage area to the Cedar Creek streamgaging site (site 1, 

fig. 1) by the total contributing-drainage area (6,912 acres) for 

Lake Olathe. The underlying assumption for this loadestimation technique is that the water-quality constituent 

load response for the ungaged 3.26-mi2 (2,088-acre) area 

downstream from site 1 is the same as that from the 

contributing-drainage area to site 1.

Loads in Cedar Creek for both total Kjeldahl nitrogen 

(TKN) and total phosphorus (TP) were determined through 

regression analysis using sample results of TKN and TP as 

response variables (y value) and continuous turbidity measurements as the explanatory variable (x value). TKN was defined 

in this study as the sum of total ammonia plus total organic 

nitrogen. These equations were used to estimate hourly concentration values, which then were multiplied by the stream discharge to determine loads. The hourly values were summed 

seasonally and for each year to produce load estimates. The 

total nutrient load to Lake Olathe in this study was the sum of 

the estimated loads for TKN, total inorganic nitrogen, which 

includes total nitrite plus total nitrate as nitrogen (TIN), orthophosphate (OP), and TP.

Quality Control 

Quality-control samples were routinely collected and analyzed to identify, quantify, and document bias and variability in 

the collection and processing of data. Sample processing was 

done primarily at the USGS office in Lawrence, Kansas; therefore, equipment blanks were collected to measure the environmental conditions in the laboratory, and rinse blanks were collected to measure the effectiveness of the equipment cleaning 

protocols in the laboratory. Quality-control samples were submitted to the NWQL for analysis. Blank samples analyzed for 

inorganic constituents were prepared with inorganic grade 

water from the USGS Ocala (Florida) Field Services Unit where 

this water is quality assured for suitability in the testing of 

equipment and sampling. Blank samples analyzed for pesticides were prepared with pesticide-grade water obtained from 

the NWQL in Denver, Colorado. In addition to blank samples, 

several sequential replicate samples were collected to assess the 

variability among samples resulting from collection, processing, shipping, and laboratory procedures conducted at different 

sampling times (Wilde and others, 1999).

Results from equipment and rinse blanks indicated that the 

USGS laboratory in Lawrence, Kansas, was free of contaminants and that equipment cleaning procedures were good 

(table 25, in “Supplemental Information” section of this report). 

However, boron was detected in both an equipment and rinse 

blank in 2000. Quality-assurance samples in subsequent years 

did not detect boron greater than the detection level. Small concentrations of chloride (0.55 mg/L) were identified in an equipment blank in 2001, and small concentrations of manganese 

(0.21 μg/L) were identified in an equipment blank in 2002. 

Concentrations of boron, chloride, and manganese in Lake 

Olathe in December 2000 were about 93 μg/L, 48 mg/L, and 

266 μg/L, respectively (information on file at USGS office in 

Lawrence, Kansas). Aside from boron, sample integrity was 

minimally affected by the detections in the blank samples. 

Boron and chloride were not detected in equipment blanks 

in 2002.

Relative percentage differences in sequential replicate 

samples varied from 0 to about 73 percent, depending on the 

constituent (table 26, in “Supplemental Information” section of 

this report). Relative percentage difference was calculated as 

the difference between the replicate and original sample 

concentrations divided by the average of the two values, multiplied by 100. Small differences between the environmental 

sample and the replicate sample of constituents, for example 

total phosphorus in a water sample from Lake Olathe on June 

27, 2001 (0.04 and 0.06 mg/L, respectively) (table 26, in “Supplemental Information” section of this report), resulted in a 

large percentage difference, but the magnitude of the difference 

was within 10 percent for most constituents. 

Surface-Water-Quality Conditions

Surface-water-quality conditions described in this report 

include water chemistry and selected constituent loads and 

yields. Phytoplankton characteristics also are described.

Water Chemistry of Cedar Creek and Lake Olathe

This section presents the results of approximately 2.5 years 

of water-sample collection at three sites in the Lake Olathe 

watershed. Factors affecting water quality to be discussed in 

this section include physical properties such as specific conductance, pH, water temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, and 

alkalinity. Also included are analysis and interpretation of the 

concentrations of suspended sediment, major ions, nutrients, 

trace elements, and pesticides. Water-quality data from the 

Lake Olathe study are stored in the National Water Information 

System (NWIS), a USGS database located at 

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ks/nwis/qw/. Statistical summaries of 

results from the chemical analysis of water-quality samples and 

regressional-model equations are presented in tables 2–6.

Several physical properties such as specific conductance, 

pH, water temperature, turbidity, and dissolved oxygen can be 

measured by the in-stream (or in-lake) water-quality monitors, 

but concentrations of most chemicals of concern cannot be measured this way. Discrete sampling of chemicals is expensive, 

infrequent, and adds to the level of uncertainty when comparing 

median chemical concentrations on a yearly basis. Instead, 

most chemical concentrations and loads need to be estimated on 

a daily, monthly, or annual basis using both water-quality monitors and regression analysis. Some of the estimated chemical 

concentrations detected in Cedar Creek and Lake Olathe have 

associated water-quality criteria (dissolved solids, nitrate, fecal 

coliform, and E. coli bacteria), whereas other chemicals, such as 

TKN, phosphorus, and geosmin are of concern to the city of 
Surface-Water-Quality Conditions 11

Olathe water managers in their efforts to manage this water 

resource. The regression models presented in this study were 

developed using the least-squares process. Explanatory variables were chosen on the basis of the relation (p-value less than 

0.05) to a response variable. All of the equations developed in 

this report are site specific and apply only to Cedar Creek at 

Highway 56 or Lake Olathe in Olathe, Kansas.

Physical Properties

Physical properties were measured in conjunction with 

water-quality sampling. A statistical summary of measurements of physical properties made during this study along with 

USEPA criteria for finished/treated drinking water for selected 

physical properties are presented in table 2. Mean daily values 

of selected physical properties for calendar years 2001 and 2002 

for Cedar Creek are shown in figure 4 and for Lake Olathe in 

figure 5.

Hydrologic conditions within the Lake Olathe watershed 

varied between 2001 and 2002. Precipitation in calendar year 

2001 was 36.0 in., and precipitation in calendar year 2002 was 

26.6 in., compared to the 30-year average precipitation for the 

Lake Olathe watershed of approximately 40.0 in. (Kansas State 

University Research and Extension, 2003). Precipitation totals 

for calendar years 2001 and 2002 were 10 and 34 percent less 

than the 30-year average. Precipitation contributes to runoff, 

which may have resulted in increased concentrations of sediment, bacteria, and other chemicals reaching Cedar Creek during 2001 compared to 2002. Mean daily discharge (based on 

mean hourly discharge values) (fig. 6) as well as total streamflow volume were measured at Cedar Creek at Highway 56, and 

seasonal differences in discharge and volume were evident. In 

general, stream discharge was less in 2002 than in 2001, especially from June through October (fig. 6). Streamflow volume 

was three times larger in calendar year 2001 than 2002 

(11,300 and 3,570 acre-ft, respectively) (Putnam and others, 

2002; Putnam and Schneider, 2003). Discharge from Cedar 

Creek at Highway 56 was used as an explanatory variable in 

many of the regression-estimated chemical concentrations and 

subsequent load and yield relations developed for Cedar Creek.

Specific conductance values from Cedar Creek at Highway 56, Lake Olathe near dam, and Lake Olathe at upstream 

end, during sample collection ranged from 384 to 1,230 μS/cm 

(table 2). Specific conductance describes the ability of water to 

conduct an electrical current and provides an indication of ion 

concentrations or dissolved solids. Concentrations of dissolved 

solids increase with specific conductance (Hem, 1992). The 

lake is a composite of all the water that flows into it, and 

because most water comes in during low specific conductance 

runoff periods, specific conductance in the lake water (site 2) 

tends to be smaller than mean or median values at the Cedar 

Creek site (site 1, fig. 1). 

KDHE has established a surface-water-quality criterion 

for aquatic life of 6.5 to 8.5 standard units for pH in natural surface-water systems. The pH of water from the three sites in this 

study during sample collection ranged from 6.8 to 8.9 standard 

units (table 2). pH values that were measured in Cedar Creek 

were within the range established by KDHE (2003); however, 

several values measured in Lake Olathe were greater than 8.5. 

pH values less than 7.0 exhibit acidic properties, and pH values 

larger than 70 exhibit alkaline properties. Water removal from 

Lake Olathe was either by discharge over the dam spillway 

when the lake elevation exceeded 937.5 ft (NAVD 88) or by 

pumping from the intake structure to a water-treatment facility 

for the purpose of providing drinking water. 

Lake Olathe undergoes thermal stratification during the 

late spring and summer months, typically from June through 

September. During this time, three vertical water-temperature 

zones are formed in Lake Olathe. The upper warmer water is 

called the epilimnion, the middle portion where the rate of temperature change with depth is the largest is called the metalimnion, and the deepest portion is called the hypolimnion. In Lake 

Olathe, the depth of the metalimnion varied from about 30 ft in 

the spring to about 15 ft in the late summer (fig. 7). In early 

summer, a thermocline (rapidly decreasing temperatures with 

depth) occurred in the metalimnion, and temperatures frequently changed with depth by as much as 10 o

C in this layer 

(fig. 7B). The hypolimnion varied in depth from about 40 ft in 

the spring (fig. 7A) to about 25 ft in the late summer (fig. 7B). 

Very little mixing of the water column occurred during the 

period of thermal stratification; therefore, warm water entering 

the lake likely would be isolated in the epilimnion. Similarly, 

cool water entering the lake would be entrained in the hypolimnion. In late summer and fall in temperate lakes such as Lake 

Olathe, declining air temperatures result in a loss of heat from 

the lake. Surface water cools and becomes more dense than the 

underlying warmer epilimnetic water (Wetzel, 2001). As the 

cooler surface water sinks, it is mixed within the empilimnion 

by a combination of convection and wind currents. The epilimnion becomes larger and larger until thermal stratification is 

eliminated (fig. 7C).

The turbidity of water during sample collection from the 

three sites in this study ranged from 0.80 to greater than 

1,000 nephelometric turbidity units (NTU), with the largest values measured in Cedar Creek at Highway 56 (site 1, fig. 1), and 

the smallest values measured in Lake Olathe (sites 2 and 3, 

fig. 1) (table 2). Turbidity values varied between 2001 and 

2002 and generally were smaller in 2002 than in 2001 (figs. 4 

and 5). Turbidity values commonly were used as an explanatory variable to develop estimated chemical concentrations for 

selected constituents, including suspended sediment, nutrients, 

and bacteria. Turbidity has no known health effects but can 

interfere with disinfection of drinking water and provide a 

medium for microbial growth. 

USEPA has developed ambient stream-water-quality criteria recommendations for turbidity on the basis of nutrient ecoregions (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2000). Lake 

Olathe is located in Nutrient Ecoregion IX (Southeastern Temperate Forested Plains and Hills), Level III Subregion 40 (Central Irregular Plains). The recommended turbidity criterion for 

streams in this subregion is 15.5 NTU. USEPA has not developed a recommended turbidity criterion for lakes and reservoirs 
Table 2. Statistical summary describing physical properties, organic carbon, and suspended-sediment concentrations in water from Cedar Creek at H

northeast Kansas, 2000–02.

[ft3/s, cubic feet per second; μS/cm, microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius (oC); NTU, nephelometric turbidity units as measured using a YSI 6600, 6026 sensor; m

acid-neutralizing capacity; IX, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2000) recommended criteria for Ecoregion IX; KDHE, Kansas Department of Health and Environment criterion; --, not applicable; > greater than]

Physical property (unit of measurement) Number of samples Value 

Minimum Maximum Mean Median 

Standard d

Cedar Creek at Highway 56 (site 1, fig. 1)

Discharge (ft3/s) 15 1.1 500 100 9.4 170 Specific conductance (μS/cm) 20 384 1,230 729 707 214 pH (standard units) 20 7.1 8.1 7.7 7.7 .Water temperature (oC) 20 1.6 25.5 15.0 16.1 7.4 Turbidity (NTU) 20 7.1 >1,000 220 110 280 Dissolved oxygen (mg/L) 19 3.1 21 9.2 9.1 4.ANC alkalinity (as CaCO3) (mg/L) 10 99 280 140 130 53 Total organic carbon (mg/L) 2 16 23 20 20 4.7 Suspended-sediment concentration (mg/L) 12 14 1,090 293 75 384 

Lake Olathe near dam (site 2, fig. 1)

Specific conductance (μS/cm)

epilimnion 19 394 692 526 513 87 hypolimnion 12 394 692 563 588 101 

pH (standard units)

epilimnion 19 7.2 8.9 8.0 8.0 .hypolimnion 12 6.8 8.0 7.4 7.4 .4

Water temperature (oC)

epilimnion 19 4.6 29 19 20 7.hypolimnion 12 4.4 22 15 14 4.

Turbidity (NTU)

epilimnion 19 2.4 60 19 15 15 hypolimnion 11 .80 60 18 15 -- 

Dissolved oxygen (mg/L)

epilimnion 19 2.1 12.2 7.8 8.0 2.hypolimnion 12 .05 9.6 2.6 1.3 3.
Lake Olathe near dam (site 2, fig. 1)—Continued

ANC alkalinity (as CaCO3) (mg/L) 

epilimnion 18 61 120 93 96 18 hypolimnion 12 90 220 143 140 41 

Total organic carbon (mg/L)

epilimnion 3 5.1 6.4 5.6 5.4 .7 hypolimnion 0 -- -- -- -- -- 

Suspended-sediment concentration (mg/L)

epilimnion 15 2 19 8 7 4 hypolimnion 10 3 79 19 13 22 

Lake Olathe at upstream end (site 3, fig. 1)

Specific conductance (μS/cm) 5 410 675 518 500 97 pH (standard units) 5 7.8 8.4 8.1 7.9 .Water temperature (oC) 5 8.4 28.6 20.8 23.0 8.Turbidity (NTU) 5 15 110 47 34 36 Dissolved oxygen (mg/L) 5 5.2 13.8 7.7 7.0 3.ANC alkalinity (as CaCO3) (mg/L) 5 71 112 95 103 19 Total organic carbon (mg/L) 0 -- -- -- -- -- Suspended-sediment concentration (mg/L) 4 6 21 14 14 6 

Table 2. Statistical summary describing physical properties, organic carbon, and suspended-sediment concentrations in water from Cedar Creek at H

northeast Kansas, 2000–02. 

[ft3/s, cubic feet per second; μS/cm, microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius (oC); NTU, nephelometric turbidity units as measured using a YSI 6600, 6026 sensor; m

acid-neutralizing capacity; IX, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2000) recommended criteria for Ecoregion IX; KDHE, Kansas Department of Health and Environment criterion; --, not applicable; > greater than]

Physical property (unit of measurement) Number of samples Value 

Minimum Maximum Mean Median Standard d

—Continued
14 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

in Nutrient Ecoregion IX. Water from Lake Olathe used for 

drinking water is treated at the Olathe water-treatment facility 

to reduce turbidity prior to distribution to the public.

Surface-water-quality criteria for aquatic life support 

established by KDHE for dissolved oxygen in surface water 

states that the concentration of dissolved oxygen in surface 

water shall not be less than 5.0 mg/L as the result of artificial 

sources of pollution (Kansas Department of Health and Environment, 2003). Oxygen is important in many chemical and 

biological reactions, including respiration and photosynthesis. 

When oxygen concentrations in water are depleted, most 

aquatic organisms die or are replaced by a few specialized 

organisms tolerant of low oxygen levels (Horne and Goldman, 

1994). The concentration of dissolved oxygen in Cedar Creek at 

Highway 56 (site 1) during sample collection ranged from 

3.1 to 21 mg/L, and ranged from 0.05 to nearly 14 mg/L in 

Lake Olathe (table 2). The smallest dissolved oxygen concentrations in Lake Olathe commonly were detected near the 

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Mean daily temperature, in degrees Celsius

Mean daily dissolved oxygen, in milligrams per liter (mg/L)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Mean daily pH, in standard units

Kansas Department of Health and Environment

(2003) surface-water-quality criterion for pH, 6.5 to 8.5 standard units 

Kansas Department of Health and Environment (2003)

surface-water-quality criterion for dissolved oxygen,

5.0 mg/L

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2000)

recommended stream-water-quality criterion for turbidity, 15.5 NTU

pH

Water temperature

No

data

No

data

Dissolved oxygen

Jan.

Feb.

Mar.

Apr.

May

June

July

Aug.

Sept.

June

July

Aug.

S

Oc

ept.

t.

Dec.

Jan.

Feb.

Mar.

Apr.

Nov.

May

Oct.

Dec.Nov.

2001 2002

(B) pH, water temperature, and dissolved oxygen

(A) Specific conductance and turbidity

0

2,000

1,800

1,600

1,400

1,200

1,000

800

600

400

200

2,200

Mean daily specific conductance, in microsiemens

per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius

1

10

100

1,000 Mean daily turbidity, in nephelometric turbidity units (NTU) 

Turbidity

No

data

No

data

Specific conductance

Figure 4. Mean daily (A) specific conductance and turbidity, and (B) pH, water temperature, and dissolved oxygen in water 

from Cedar Creek at Highway 56 (site 1), 2001–02. Location of sampling site shown in figure 1.
Surface-Water-Quality Conditions 15

bottom of Lake Olathe during the summer months of July and 

August after the lake had stratified. The small dissolved oxygen 

concentrations likely are a natural phenomenon that occurs as 

part of the lake stratification process.

The acid-neutralizing capacity (ANC) of CaCO3 (calcium 

carbonate) is a measure of the acid-buffering capacity of unfiltered water. In this report, ANC will be referred to as alkalinity, 

although alkalinity refers to the acid-buffering capacity of filtered water. Alkalinity as CaCO3 ranged from 99 to 280 mg/L 

in Cedar Creek at Highway 56 (site 1), and from 61 to 220 mg/L 

in Lake Olathe (sites 2 and 3) (table 2). Excessive alkalinity in 

water may give the water an unpleasant taste, increase pH, and 

decrease biological activity (Hem, 1992). Alkalinity was not

considered excessive in water from Cedar Creek or Lake 

Olathe, and values were smaller than those determined in a previous ground-water study of the Olathe landfill (Rasmussen and 

others, 1994).

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Mean daily pH, in standard units

Kansas Department of Health and Environment

(2003) surface-water-quality criterion for pH, 6.5 to 8.5 standard units 

Kansas Department of Health and Environment (2003)

surface-water-quality criterion for dissolved oxygen,

5.0 mg/L

pH

Temperature

Dissolved oxygen

Jan.

Feb.

Mar.

Apr.

May

June

July

Aug.

Sept.

June

July

Aug.

S

Oc

ept.

t.

Dec.

Jan.

Feb.

Mar.

Apr.

Nov.

May

Oct.

Dec.

Nov.

2001 2002

(B) pH, water temperature, and dissolved oxygen

Mean daily temperature, in degrees Celsius

Mean daily dissolved oxygen, in milligrams per liter (mg/L)

(A) Specific conductance and turbidity

600

400

200

800

Mean daily specific conductance, in microsiemens

per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius

1

10

100

Mean daily turbidity, in nephelometric turbidity units (NTU) 

Turbidity

Specific conductance

Figure 5. Mean daily (A) specific conductance and turbidity, and (B) pH, water temperature, and dissolved oxygen in 

water from Lake Olathe near dam (site 2), 2001–02. Location of sampling site shown in figure 1.
16 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

Suspended Sediment

Suspended-sediment concentration is an important measure of water-quality conditions and is the result of land disturbance and the natural weathering of soils, rocks, and minerals. 

USEPA and KDHE do not have numeric surface-water-quality 

criteria for suspended-sediment concentration. However, narrative surface-water-quality criteria established by KDHE for 

suspended solids state that “suspended solids added to surface

waters by artificial sources shall not interfere with the behavior, 

reproduction, physical habitat, or other factors related to the 

survival and propagation of aquatic or semiaquatic life or terrestrial life” (Kansas Department of Health and Environment, 

2001). Suspended-sediment concentrations ranged from 14 to 

1,090 mg/L in Cedar Creek at Highway 56 (site 1) and from 2 to 

79 mg/L in Lake Olathe (table 2). Larger concentrations were 

attributed to sampling periods during or following runoff when 

large amounts of suspended sediment were transported along 

with streamflow through Cedar Creek and into Lake Olathe.

Suspended-sediment concentrations often are estimated 

using streamflow regression models. However in this study, 

turbidity provided better estimates of suspended-sediment concentrations than streamflow. The regression model used to estimate suspended-sediment concentration in Cedar Creek was:

logSSC = 0.002(Turb) + 1.54, (1)

where

SSC is suspended-sediment concentration, in milligrams 

per liter; and

Turb is continuous turbidity, in nephelometric turbidity 

units.

The coefficient of determination, R2, was 0.78 (p-value less 

than 0.001), indicating a statistically significant relation 

between suspended-sediment concentration and turbidity. Turbidity is an optical property related to particles in solution 

scattering light and, therefore, has a relation with suspendedsediment concentration.

Major Ions and Dissolved Solids

Surface water contains a wide variety of molecules and 

ions from the weathering of soils in the watershed, the atmosphere, and sediments. The dissolved chemicals (molecules 

and ions) that give water its unique chemistry are the cations 

(positively charged ions) of calcium, magnesium, potassium, 

silica, and sodium; and the anions (negatively charged ions) of 

sulfate, chloride, and fluoride. Concentrations of the cations 

and anions usually are expressed in units of milligrams per liter 

(mg/L). Humans can have substantial effects on water chemistry by supplying additional ions to water. Excessive disturbance of the land surface as a result of agricultural crop production, as well as commercial and residential land development 

can cause higher rates of leaching and erosion by removing land 

cover, exposing soils, and increasing water-runoff velocity. 

These effects can lead to increased cation and anion loading 

(transport) to streams and lakes. Although basic cations and 

anions commonly are not considered contaminants, increased 

ion concentrations may provide information about potential 

1,000

100

10

1.0

0.10

0.01 January February March April May June July August September October November December

2001

Broken lines indicate

missing data

2002

Mean daily discharge, in cubic feet per second

Figure 6. Mean daily stream discharge from Cedar Creek at Highway 56 (site 1), 2001–02. Location of sampling site shown 

in figure 1.
Surface-Water-Quality Conditions 17

0

45

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

A. April 18, 2001

0

45

Depth below lake surface, in feet

B. August 14, 2001

0

45

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

C. October 23, 2001

Epilimnion

Epilimnion

Epilimnion

Metalimnion

Metalimnion

Hypolimnion

Hypolimnion

Temperature, in degrees Celsius

Bottom of lake (40 feet below lake surface)

Bottom of lake (40 feet below lake surface)

Bottom of lake (40 feet below lake surface)

Figure 7. Water temperature variation with depth in Lake Olathe near dam (site 2), 2001. Location of sampling site shown in 

figure 1.
18 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

sources of contaminants that are of concern (nutrients, trace elements, and synthetic organic compounds).

The large sulfate concentrations in water from Cedar 

Creek (table 3) likely come from weathering of soil and rock 

material containing either gypsum or iron sulfides (Wetzel, 

2001). Sulfate also can be attributed to industrial wastes 

(Wetzel, 2001). 

Dissolved-solids concentration is the quantity of dissolved 

material in a sample of water, and it is commonly used in evaluating water quality and in comparing water from different 

sources (Hem, 1992, p. 157). Median concentrations of dissolved solids at all three sampling sites in the Olathe watershed 

were very similar, ranging from 290 to 380 mg/L (table 3).

Nutrients

The distribution of chemicals in Lake Olathe, especially 

nutrients, is affected by thermal stratification (layering of the 

water according to temperatures). Following thermal stratification, nutrients often are depleted in the epilimnion as a result of 

algal uptake, while nutrient concentrations in the hypolimnion 

remain constant or increase (Horne and Goldman, 1994, p. 19). 

Nutrients, such as biologically available forms of dissolved nitrogen and phosphorus, can affect the trophic condition or degree of biological activity in a lake. Nutrient enrichment (eutrophication) to a lake can lead to excessive growth of 

algae (algal blooms) and other aquatic plants. Eutrophication 

also may reduce the aesthetic and recreational value of water 

and, in severe cases, may stress or kill aquatic organisms as a 

result of dissolved oxygen depletion following the die off of 

algal blooms. Algal blooms are responsible for many waterquality-related problems in lakes including but not limited to 

high turbidity, unpleasant tastes and odors, and disruptions to 

water-treatment facilities. 

To understand and manage the problems associated with 

eutrophication in lakes, it is important to understand the complex dynamics between nutrient input and the in-lake concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus, and seasonal responses of 

algal populations. 

Forms of Nitrogen

Nitrogen commonly occurs in natural water in several different forms including dissolved molecular nitrogen (N2), 

organic compounds (amino acids, amines, proteins), ammonia 

[includes ammonia (NH3) and ammonium (NH4

+) ions], nitrite 

(NO2

-

), and nitrate (NO3

-

). Sources of nitrogen include fixation 

of atmospheric molecular nitrogen by bacteria and algae, the 

decay of organic material such as algae or washed-in leaf material, animal wastes, improperly functioning septic systems, and 

urban runoff. Fertilizers applied to cropland provide large 

amounts of both soluble nitrogen compounds, such as ammonium nitrate, and insoluble compounds, such as total TKN. 

TKN is relatively immobile in soil because of its adsorption to 

soil surfaces. However, under oxygen-rich conditions, TKN 

can be converted to nitrite and nitrate and enter the ground- and 

surface-water systems (Horne and Goldman, 1994, p. 137).

Nitrogen can be transformed from one form to another by 

a biologically catalyzed reaction. Bacteria and blue-green algae 

(cyanobacteria) can transform nitrogen gas to ammonia by an 

enzyme in a process known as nitrogen fixation (Horne and 

Goldman, 1994, p. 145). Other bacteria catalyze the oxidation 

of ammonia to nitrite, then to nitrate by a process known as 

nitrification; the process occurs quickly in the oxygen-rich 

environments of most streams. Ammonia is the preferred form

of algal uptake and is followed by nitrite and nitrate and then 

dissolved molecular nitrogen (Wetzel, 2001). Organisms can 

use these forms of nitrogen and incorporate the nitrogen into 

algal cells, which in turn decay and release nitrogen in the 

various forms of ammonia.

Mean and median concentrations of the various nitrogen 

forms were larger in Cedar Creek than in the epilimnion of Lake 

Olathe (table 4). Maximum and median concentrations of TKN 

and TIN were larger in Cedar Creek than in the Lake Olathe 

epilimnion. The concentration of TKN in Cedar Creek ranged 

from 0.49 to 3.0 mg/L, and concentrations of TIN ranged from 

0.19 to 3.3 mg/L. 

The following regression models were developed for 

Cedar Creek to assist in the explanation of nutrient concentrations and loads to Lake Olathe:

TKN = 1.38log(SSC) – 1.56, (2)

TKN = 0.002Turb + 0.75, and (3)

TIN = -0.14WT +0.69pH –1.33, (4)

where

TKN is the total ammonia plus organic nitrogen as nitrogen 

concentration, in milligrams per liter;

SSC is the suspended-sediment concentration, in milligrams per liter;

Turb is turbidity, in nephelometric turbidity units;

TIN is the dissolved nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen concentration, in milligrams per liter;

WT is water temperature, in degrees Celsius; and

pH is the negative log of the hydrogen ion concentration, 

in standard units.

The coefficients of determination, R2, for TKN and TIN using 

equations 2–4 were 0.87, 0.60, and 0.63, respectively, and 

p-values were less than 0.001, 0.002, and 0.01, respectively 

(table 5), indicating a statistically significant relation using 

SSC, Turb, WT, and pH in these equations. The relation among 

TKN, suspended-sediment concentration, and turbidity is not 

surprising because of the adsorption preference of TKN to soil 

particles. The relation among TIN, water temperature, and pH 

may be explained through algal dynamics. Water temperature 

and pH affect algal production, and algae utilize TIN for 

cellular processes.

The concentration of TKN in the epilimnion of Lake 

Olathe ranged from 0.56 to 1.1 mg/L, and TIN ranged 
Table 3. Statistical summary describing major-ion and dissolved-solids concentrations in water from Cedar Creek at Highway 56 and Lake Olathe, no2000–02.[SWDR, Secondary Drinking Water Regulation (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2003); MCL, Maximum Contaminant Level (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 

Major ion Number of samples

Concentration, in milligrams per liter

Minimum Maximum Mean Median Standard d

Cedar Creek at Highway 56 (site 1, fig. 1)

Calcium 8 45 89 64 64 18 Magnesium 8 9.2 23 14 14 5.0 Sodium 8 24 65 48 47 14 Potassium 8 3.5 5.9 4.5 4.3 .7Sulfate 8 49 220 140 140 66 Chloride 8 20 100 53 51 28 Fluoride 8 .2 .4 .3 .3 .1 Silica 8 4.3 8.2 5.7 5.4 1.4 Dissolved solids 8 330 580 430 380 96 

Lake Olathe near dam (site 2, fig. 1)

Calcium 

epilimnion 13 36 60 46 46 7.6 hypolimnion 10 42 67 56 56 8.2 

Magnesium 

epilimnion 13 8.0 10 9.4 9.4 .6 hypolimnion 11 6.3 12 9.6 9.9 1.6 

Sodium 

epilimnion 13 26 51 36 36 7.2 hypolimnion 11 21 57 35 34 9.6 

Potassium 

epilimnion 13 3.4 4.5 3.7 3.7 .2hypolimnion 11 3.4 4.3 3.8 3.7 .3

Sulfate 

epilimnion 13 58 82 69 68 6.6 hypolimnion 10 22 93 48 44 23 
Lake Olathe near dam (site 2, fig. 1)—Continued

Chloride 

epilimnion 13 27 77 47 47 14 hypolimnion 11 27 77 47 46 14 

Fluoride 

epilimnion 13 .2 .3 .3 .3 0 hypolimnion 11 .2 .3 .2 .2 0 

Silica 

epilimnion 13 1.5 5.8 4.2 4.8 1.4 hypolimnion 11 3.1 9.7 6.3 5.7 2.0 

Dissolved solids 

epilimnion 13 240 410 300 380 48 hypolimnion 10 220 420 310 290 57 

Lake Olathe at upstream end (site 3, fig. 1)

Calcium 5 38 49 44 47 5.2 Magnesium 5 9.2 9.8 9.5 9.4 .2 Sodium 5 29 41 36 35 4.9 Potassium 5 3.5 4.1 3.8 3.7 .2Sulfate 5 64 73 67 65 4.0 Chloride 5 29 53 45 48 9.5 Fluoride 5 .3 .3 .3 .3 0 Silica 5 2.4 5.4 3.8 3.6 1.2 Dissolved solids 5 230 300 280 290 27 

1The Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) and Secondary Drinking Water Regulation (SWDR) are standards that apply to treated drinking water.

Table 3. Statistical summary describing major-ion and dissolved-solids concentrations in water from Cedar Creek at Highway 56 and Lake Olathe, no

2000–02. 

[SWDR, Secondary Drinking Water Regulation (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2003); MCL, Maximum Contaminant Level (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 

Major ion Number of samples

Concentration, in milligrams per liter

Minimum Maximum Mean Median Standard d

—Continued
Table 4. Statistical summary describing nutrient concentrations in water from Cedar Creek at Highway 56 and Lake Olathe, northeast Kansas, 2000–02[MCL, Maximum Contaminant Level (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2003); <, less than; E, estimated; --, not applicable]

Nutrient Number of samples

Concentration, in milligrams per liter

Minimum Maximum Mean Median Stand

Cedar Creek at Highway 56 (site 1, fig. 1)

Ammonia, dissolved, as nitrogen 13 <0.02 0.28 0.12 0.11 Ammonia plus dissolved organic nitrogen, as nitrogen 13 .33 1.0 .59 .55 Ammonia plus organic nitrogen, total, as nitrogen 

(TKN)

13 .49 3.0 1.3 1.1 

Nitrite plus nitrate, dissolved, as nitrogen (TIN) 13 .19 3.3 1.4 1.7 Nitrite, dissolved, as nitrogen 13 .01 .13 .04 .02 Nitrogen, total (TN) 13 .93 5.2 2.7 2.2 Phosphorus, dissolved, as phosphorus 13 .03 .15 .07 .06 Phosphate, ortho, dissolved, as phosphorus (OP) 13 <.01 .12 .04 .03 Phosphorus, total, as phosphorus (TP) 13 .07 .75 .28 .15 

Lake Olathe near dam (site 2, fig. 1)

Ammonia, dissolved, as nitrogen 

epilimnion 19 <.02 .43 .09 .04 hypolimnion 12 .43 5.3 1.8 1.3 

Ammonia plus dissolved organic nitrogen, as nitrogen 

epilimnion 19 .32 .83 .46 .41 hypolimnion 12 .86 6.0 2.4 1.8 

Ammonia plus organic nitrogen, total, as nitrogen 

(TKN)

epilimnion 19 .56 1.1 .82 .81 hypolimnion 12 .93 6.2 2.6 2.0 

Nitrite plus nitrate, dissolved, as nitrogen (TIN) 

epilimnion 19 .03 2.2 .51 .32 hypolimnion 12 .03 1.8 .30 .05 

Nitrite, dissolved, as nitrogen

epilimnion 19 .01 .18 .03 .02 hypolimnion 12 .01 .11 .03 .01 
Lake Olathe near dam (site 2, fig. 1)—Continued

Nitrogen, total (TN)

epilimnion 19 0.72 3.3 1.3 1.2 hypolimnion 12 1.2 6.3 2.9 2.6 

Phosphorus, dissolved, as phosphorus 

epilimnion 19 .02 .07 .06 .06 hypolimnion 12 .04 .66 .18 .08 

Phosphate, ortho, dissolved, as phosphorus (OP)

epilimnion 19 <.01 .05 .02 .02 hypolimnion 12 <.01 .65 .16 .06 

Phosphorus, total, as phosphorus (TP)

epilimnion 19 .03E .14 .05 .04 hypolimnion 12 .06 .84 .29 .17 

Lake Olathe at upstream end (site 3, fig. 1)

Ammonia, dissolved, as nitrogen 5 <.02 .23 .16 .21 Ammonia plus dissolved organic nitrogen, as nitrogen 5 .33 .72 .50 .40 Ammonia plus organic nitrogen, total, as nitrogen 

(TKN)

5 .71 .94 .82 .83 

Nitrite plus nitrate, dissolved, as nitrogen (TIN) 5 <.05 2.4 1.3 1.3 Nitrite, dissolved, as nitrogen 5 <.01 .06 .05 .05 Nitrogen, total (TN) 5 .67 3.2 1.3 1.0 Phosphorus, dissolved, as phosphorus 5 <.05 .07 .07 .07 Phosphate, ortho, dissolved, as phosphorus (OP) 5 <.01 .04 .04 .04 Phosphorus, total, as phosphorus (TP) 5 .04E .13 .07 .05 

1The Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) is a standard that applies to treated drinking water.

Table 4. Statistical summary describing nutrient concentrations in water from Cedar Creek at Highway 56 and Lake Olathe, northeast Kansas, 2000–02[MCL, Maximum Contaminant Level (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2003); <, less than; E, estimated; --, not applicable]

Nutrient Number of samples

Concentration, in milligrams per liter

Minimum Maximum Mean Median Stand
Table 5. Summary of regression model equations for selected constituents in water from Cedar Creek at Highway 56, Olathe, northeast Kansas, 2000–0[MSE, mean square error; R2, coefficient of determination; n, number of samples; SSx, sum of square of errors; p-value, probability; t-statistic, measure of significance of coeffic

centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius; log, base-10 logarithm; Turb, turbidity, in nephelometric turbidity units; WT, water temperature, in degrees Celsius; pH, in standard units; Q, di

mg/L, milligrams per liter; μg/L, micrograms per liter; col/100 mL, colonies per 100 milliliters of water; >, greater than; <, less than; --, not applicable]

Constituent and unit of measurement Concentration range Equation MSE R2 n SSx 

Specific conductance (SC), μS/cm 257 – 1,234 SC = -163.7SSC + 978.4 14,509 0.45 12 145,088 Suspended-sediment concentration (SSC), mg/L 14 – 1,090 logSSC = 0.002Turb + 1.54 .1 .78 12 1.00 Dissolved-solids concentration (DS), mg/L – 532 DS=0.737(SC) - 76.65 873 .91 6 3,491 Ammonia plus organic nitrogen (TKN), as nitrogen 

(mg/L)

0.49 – 3.0 TKN=1.38logSSC - 1.56 .107 .87 11 .96 

Ammonia plus organic nitrogen (TKN), as nitrogen 

(mg/L)

0.49 – 3.0 TKN=0.002Turb +0.75 .29 .60 13 3.34 

Nitrite plus nitrate (TIN), as nitrogen (mg/L) 0.19 – 3.3 TIN=-0.14WT +0.69pH -1.33 .58 .63 12 5.24 Total nitrogen (TN), mg/L 0.93 – 5.2 TN=0.006Q + 0.97pH - 5.56 .88 .70 12 7.92 Phosphate, ortho (OP), as phosphorus (mg/L) 0.01 – 0.12 OP=0.0002Q + 0.022 .0003 .83 11 .003 Phosphorus, total (TP), as phosphorus (mg/L) 0.07 – 0.64 logTP=0.0009SSC - 0.96 .03 .81 11 .31 Phosphorus, total (TP), as phosphorus (mg/L) 0.07 – 0.64 TP=0.29logTurb - 0.35 .03 .58 13 .31 Atrazine (ELISA) (ATR), μg/L 0.22 – 9.0 ATR=0.0192Q - 0.003Turb +1.075 1.04 .92 12 9.37 Fecal coliform bacteria (FCB), col/100 mL 23 – 65,000 logFCB = 1.16logTurb + 0.64 .35 .62 18 5.67 E-coli bacteria (ECB), col/100 mL 23 – 67,000 logECB=1.19logTurb + 0.58 .414 .60 18 6.62 Entero bacteria (ENB), col/100 mL 153 – 120,000 logENB=1.14logTurb + 1.15 .36 .67 10 2.86 Phytoplankton biomass, dry weight (PBM), mg/L 536 – 5,600 PBM=2429logSSC - 2,018 1,236,118 .67 7 6,180,589 
24 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

from 0.03 to 2.2 mg/L (table 4). Mean and median concentrations of TKN in the hypolimnion of Lake Olathe were larger 

than concentrations in the epilimnion (table 4). The concentration range of TKN in the hypolimnion varied from 0.93 to 

6.2 mg/L, which may be in response to TKN desorption from 

lake-bottom sediments and resuspension into the lake hypolimnion during periods of low hypolimnetic oxygen content. Concentrations of TIN in the hypolimnion, however, were smaller 

than in the epilimnion, ranging from 0.03 to 1.8 mg/L. 

A regression model was developed for Lake Olathe to estimate TIN concentrations in the epilimnion:

TIN = 0.0261Turb +0.0039SC – 0.0278WT –1.6385, (5)

where

TIN is the dissolved nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen concentration, in milligrams per liter;

Turb is turbidity, in nephelometric turbidity units;

SC is specific conductance, in microsiemens per 

centimeter at 25 o

C; and

WT is water temperature, in degrees Celsius.

The coefficient of determination, R2, for TIN was 0.94, and the 

p-value was 0.009 (table 6), indicating a statistically significant 

relation using Turb, SC, and WT in equation 5. 

Algal dynamics may be partially responsible for the relation among TIN, turbidity, and specific conductance. Algae use 

TIN as a nutrient source, and increased turbidity may reduce 

light availability and interfere with nutrient uptake by lightlimited algae, resulting in increased TIN concentrations in the 

epilimnion. Similarly, various species of algae respond differently to changes in specific conductance (Wetzel, 2001, 

p. 172–177). Algal species that use TIN in Lake Olathe may 

decline with an increase in specific conductance, thus reducing 

TIN uptake. This theory is presently speculative because there 

are many causal factors affecting algal dynamics, and no studies 

to date have investigated this phenomenon (Wetzel, 2001).

Human health-based water-quality regulations have been 

established for nitrate in drinking water because of potential ill 

effects to children. USEPA and KDHE have established a surface-water-quality criterion for domestic water supplies for TIN 

not to exceed 10 mg/L as nitrogen (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1986; Kansas Department of Health and Environment, 2001). TIN did not exceed 10 mg/L as nitrogen in water 

samples from Cedar Creek or Lake Olathe during any period of 

the study. 

Forms of Phosphorus 

Phosphorus is a nutrient essential for the growth and reproduction of plants and animals. It is used as an energy source in 

the cells of plants and animals and can have a direct effect on 

the production of phytoplankton populations, an important 

component of the food chain. Phosphorus availability also is a 

critical factor in eutrophication because it is often the limiting 

nutrient that controls biological production rates (Hem, 1992, 

p. 128). Excessive phosphorus in water bodies, where nitrogen 

is not a limiting factor, can accelerate eutrophication. Excessive phosphorus concentrations in soils from both natural and 

human-related sources can have detrimental effects on lakes 

located downgradient from source areas and can promote 

excessive algal growth that may lead to taste-and-odor 

occurrences in treated drinking water. Common sources of 

human-related phosphorus include inorganic phosphates added 

to agricultural soils as fertilizer, manure from confined animalfeeding operations, and treated wastewater discharged into 

receiving streams. 

The form of phosphorus available for use by aquatic biota 

is orthophosphate (PO4

-3), an inorganic fraction that represents 

less than 10 percent of the total available phosphorus in most 

natural water (Wetzel, 2001, p. 240). Forms of orthophosphate 

are produced by natural processes through the weathering of 

rocks and minerals, but major human-related sources include 

partially treated and untreated sewage, runoff from agricultural 

sites, and application of some lawn fertilizers. Currently 

(2004), there are no established drinking-water criteria for 

orthophosphate (OP) or total phosphorus (TP); however, the 

USEPA desired goal for TP to prevent nuisance growth of 

aquatic vegetation is 0.1 mg/L in flowing water and less than 

0.05 mg/L where rivers enter lakes and reservoirs (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1986). 

Phosphorus concentrations in Cedar Creek typically were 

larger than those in the epilimnion of Lake Olathe. The concentration ranges of orthophosphate and total phosphorus in Cedar 

Creek were less than 0.01 to 0.12 mg/L and 0.07 to 0.75 mg/L, 

respectively, compared with less than 0.01 to 0.05 mg/L and 

0.03 to 0.14 mg/L, respectively, in the epilimnion at Lake 

Olathe (table 4). Median concentrations of orthophosphate 

were similar in both the creek and the lake epilimnion (0.03 and 

0.02 mg/L, respectively), but median total phosphorus concentrations were almost four times greater in Cedar Creek than in 

the epiliminion of Lake Olathe (0.15 and 0.04 mg/L, respectively). Differences in total phosphorus concentrations 

occurred because phosphorus is transported with sediment in 

Cedar Creek to Lake Olathe. However, upon reaching Lake 

Olathe, the sediment-adsorbed phosphorus settles onto the lakebed sediment in Lake Olathe and is temporarily unavailable to 

the epilimnion. 

Maximum concentrations of orthophosphate and total 

phosphorus in the hypolimnion of Lake Olathe were larger than 

those in the epilimnion of Lake Olathe. This indicates that internal loading, the release of sediment-adsorbed phosphorus into 

the water column, occurred in Lake Olathe. Mean and median 

hypolimnetic orthophosphate concentrations in Lake Olathe 

were larger than in Cedar Creek; however, mean and median 

total phosphorus concentrations were slightly larger in Cedar 

Creek than in the hypolimnion of Lake Olathe, most likely 

because of the larger amounts of suspended sediment and, thus, 

adsorbed phosphorus in the water column (table 4). 

The following regression models were developed for 

orthophosphate and total phosphorus in both Cedar Creek 

(table 5) and the epilimnion of Lake Olathe (table 6): 
Table 6. Summary of regression model equations for selected constituents in water from epilimnion of Lake Olathe near dam (site 2), northeast Kansas, 2[MSE, mean square error; R2, coefficient of determination; n, number of samples; SSx, sum of square of errors; p-value, probability; t-statistic, measure of significance of coefficie

mg/L, milligrams per liter; D, Julian day of year; Residence, lake residence time, in days; FLUOR, real-time continuous fluorescence, in micrograms per liter; ng/L, nanograms per --, not applicable; SC, specific conductance, in microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius; pH, in standard units; WT, water temperature, in degrees Celsius; Turb, turbidity, TKN, ammonia plus organic nitrogen as nitrogen, in milligrams per liter; Secchi, Secchi transparency depth, in feet]

Constituent (unit of measurement)

Range in 

concentration Equation MSE R2 n 

Sodium (NA) (mg/L) 26–48 NA=0.09SC +8.8pH - 80 5.09 0.94 11 4Chloride (CL) (mg/L) 27–77 CL=0.176SC - 42.32 24.26 .92 11 21Ammonia, as nitrogen (TA) (mg/L) 0.02–0.27 logTA=-0.31logWT + 0.002Residence - 0.05 .003 .86 14 Nitrite plus nitrate, as nitrogen (TIN) 

(mg/L)

0.05–2.4 TIN=0.0261Turb+0.0039SC-0.0278WT-1.6385 .043 .94 15 

Nitrite plus nitrate, as nitrogen (TIN) 

(mg/L)

0.05–2.4 TIN=1.25log(Turb)+(0.67sin2πD+0.57cos2πD)-0.87 .082 .89 15 

Phosphate, ortho, as phosphorus (OP) 

(mg/L)

0.01–0.04 OP=0.0024sin4πD - 0.0049cos4πD + 0.0006FLUOR + 0.0002Turb + 0.0074 .00001 .91 15 

Phosphorus, total, as phosphorus (TP) 

(mg/L)

0.04–0.14 TP = 0.0007(Residence) - 0.0442pH +0.39 .00008 .93 15 

Melosira granulata (MELGRA) (relative 

percentage abundance)

0–26.7 MELGRA=(12.61cos2πD/365+0.17sin2πD/365) - 0.21Residence+0.22Turb + 14.08 15.44 .89 15 15

Oscillatoria sp. (OSCISP) (relative 

percentage abundance)

0–2.52 OSCISP=0.06Turb - 0.03Residence+2.97(TKN) - 2.54 .37 .75 15 

Cryptomonas sp. (CRYPTSPP) (relative 

percentage abundance)

0–50.2 CRYPTSPP=(20.81sin2πD/365+22.87cos2πD/365) - 285.8log(SC) +30.1(FLUOR) + 

758

81.6 .73 15 81

Anabaena sp. (ANABSPP) (relative 

percentage abundance)

0–47.2 ANABSPP=0.66Turb - 0.16SC - 58.99(TKN) + 125.2 136 .64 14 1,

Geosmin (ng/L) 2.5–12 Geosmin=1.08Secchi - 0.064SC + 0.24Turb + 31.04 3.41 .70 16 4
26 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

Cedar Creek OP = 0.0002Q +0.022; (6)

Cedar Creek logTP = 0.0009SSC – 0.96; (7)

Cedar Creek TP = 0.29logTurb – 0.35; (8)

Lake Olathe OP = 0.0024 sin4πD – 0.0049cos4πD + 

0.0006FLUOR + 0.0002Turb +0.0074; and (9)

Lake Olathe TP = 0.0007(Residence) – 0.0442pH + 0.39; (10)

where

OP is orthophosphate concentration, in 

milligrams per liter;

TP is total phosphorus concentration, in 

milligrams per liter;

Q is discharge, in cubic feet per second;

SSC is suspended-sediment concentration, in 

milligrams per liter;

sin 4πD – cos4πD is a seasonality term based on time of 

year, in days (D is Julian day, where 

January 1 is 1 and December 31 is 365);

FLUOR is real-time continuous fluorescence, in 

micrograms per liter;

Turb is turbidity, in nephelometric turbidity 

units;

Residence is number of days Lake Olathe elevation 

was less than 937.5 ft prior to sampling, 

in days; and 

pH is negative log of hydrogen ion concentration, in standard units.

The coefficient of determination (R2) and p-values for these 

models (equations 6–10) varied from 0.58 to 0.93 and less than 

0.001 to 0.003, respectively, indicating there was a good statistical relation between orthophosphate and total phosphorus and 

the selected explanatory variables (tables 5 and 6). Equations 

6–10 are valid within the concentration ranges presented in 

tables 5 and 6. 

The regression models developed for Cedar Creek 

(table 5) for orthophosphate and total phosphorus rely on discharge and suspended-sediment concentration, respectively. 

This is consistent with the known behavior of these chemicals; 

dissolved orthophosphate would be transported more readily in 

solution, and total phosphorus more likely would attach to sediment particles and be related to suspended-sediment 

concentration.

The orthophosphate and total phosphorus models developed for Lake Olathe (table 6) include a time component that is 

a function of the time of year and length of time there has been 

no outflow from the lake. As stated previously, seasonal fertilizer application (and other sources) combined with discharge 

from Cedar Creek contribute to elevated orthophosphate concentrations in Lake Olathe. The largest application of phosphorus chemicals in the Lake Olathe watershed occurs during the 

spring and early summer months when chemicals are applied to 

crops and residential lawns. The relation of residence time to 

total phosphorus concentration in Lake Olathe, although small, 

may be a function of internal loading, which results when phosphorus released from bottom sediment contributes to the total 

phosphorus concentration in the lake, especially during periods 

when there is no outflow.

Selected Trace Elements

Three trace elements, boron, iron, and manganese, were 

analyzed in water samples collected from Cedar Creek and 

Lake Olathe. Trace elements occur naturally in ground water 

and surface water in the United States at concentrations of parts 

per billion (or micrograms per liter). The presence of geologic 

materials (rocks, sand, and soil) are natural sources of trace elements. In addition, human-related sources and minerals containing trace elements can affect the quality of ground and 

surface water.

Boron is a light element, tends to be volatile, and is an 

essential micronutrient for plant growth (Hem, 1992, p. 129). 

Concentrations of boron larger than 1 mg/L can be toxic to 

some plant species (Hem, 1992, p. 129). Boron commonly is 

distributed in igneous rocks, and ocean water concentrations of 

this element are about 4.6 mg/L. Currently (2004), USEPA and 

KDHE have no established public health criteria for boron.

Iron and manganese are essential constituents of many 

enzymatic and cellular processes including photosynthesis. 

However, increased concentrations can adversely affect the 

taste and odor of drinking water, and USEPA has established 

SDWRs of 300 μg/L for total iron and 50 μg/L for total manganese, which apply to treated drinking water (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2003). Total concentrations of iron and 

manganese consist of both particulate and dissolved forms.

Dissolved forms of boron, iron, and manganese were measured in water samples from Cedar Creek and Lake Olathe 

(table 7). Median dissolved boron concentrations ranged from 

140 μg/L in Cedar Creek to 90 μg/L in the epilimnion at site 2 

and at site 3 at Lake Olathe. Median dissolved iron concentrations in Cedar Creek were less than the USEPA SDWR for 

treated drinking water, with concentrations ranging from less 

than 10 to 10 μg/L. The median dissolved iron concentration in 

samples from the hypolimnion of Lake Olathe (site 2) was 

110 μg/L, and concentrations ranged from less than 10 to 

210 μg/L, substantially less than the USEPA SDWR for treated 

drinking water. Particulate forms of iron, defined as the iron 

attached to organic material, were not measured in water samples from Cedar Creek or Lake Olathe; however, particulate 

iron concentrations in lakes generally are on the order of 

1 mg/L, most of which is contained in the lake biota (Horne and 

Goldman, 1994). The median concentration of epilimnetic dissolved manganese in Lake Olathe (site 2) was less than 

1 μg/L compared to the hypolimnetic median concentration of 

1,400 μg/L. Concentrations in samples from the lake ranged 

from less than 1 to about 270 μg/L in the epiliminion. The largest concentrations were detected near the bottom of the lake 

consistent with small dissolved oxygen concentrations and 
Table 7. Statistical summary describing selected trace-element concentrations in water from Cedar Creek at Highway 56 and Lake Olathe, northeast [SDWR, Secondary Drinking Water Regulation (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2003); <, less than; --, not applicable]

Trace element

(unit of measure)

Number of 

samples

Concentration, in micrograms per liter

Minimum Maximum Mean Median Standard d

1The Secondary Drinking Water Regulation is a standard that applies to treated drinking water.

Cedar Creek at Highway 56 (site 1, fig. 1)

Boron 8 60 220 130 140 50 Iron 8 <10 10 10 10 <10 Manganese 6 <1 200 100 97 74 

Lake Olathe near dam (site 2, fig. 1)

Boron 

epilimnion 13 80 100 90 90 10 hypolimnion 11 50 100 80 80 10 

Iron 

epilimnion 13 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 hypolimnion 10 <10 210 110 110 60 

Manganese 

epilimnion 12 <1 270 30 <1 78 hypolimnion 9 1 3,100 1,400 1,400 1,300 

Lake Olathe at upstream end (site 3, fig. 1)

Boron 5 70 100 90 90 10 Iron 5 <10 20 20 20 -- Manganese 3 <1 23 8 <1 13 
28 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

reducing conditions. Smaller concentrations were detected near 

the dam, and the city of Olathe water-treatment process results 

in concentrations in drinking water considerably less than the 

USEPA SDWR (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 

2003).

Selected Pesticides

Agricultural cropland and grassland constitute more than 

80 percent of the land cover in the Lake Olathe watershed, and 

pesticides likely have been used on the croplands to control 

weeds, insects, and other pests to maximize crop yields. Pesticides include herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides, and about 

three-fourths of the United States total annual pesticide usage is 

for agriculture (Aspelin and others, 1992). In 1991, about 

84 percent of the pesticides applied in the United States were 

herbicides (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1992; Meade, 

1995). The use of pesticides may be of concern because of the 

potential adverse effects that pesticides can have on aquatic 

organisms as well as on humans who rely on Lake Olathe for 

their drinking-water supply.

Fifty pesticides were analyzed in water samples from 

Cedar Creek and Lake Olathe. Of those 50, 10 pesticides were 

detected at concentrations greater than 0.01 μg/L in Cedar 

Creek, and 9 pesticides were detected at concentrations greater 

than 0.01 μg/L in the epilimnion of Lake Olathe (table 8). 

Seven pesticides were detected in water samples from Cedar 

Creek at concentrations greater than 0.10 μg/L, and four pesticides or their degradation products were detected in Cedar 

Creek at concentrations greater than 1.0 μg/L (acetochlor, atrazine, deethylatrazine, and metolachlor). The detected pesticides were primarily herbicides (or their degradation products) 

used in the control of broadleaf weeds and grasses. However, 

diazinon, an insecticide used on a variety of crops and for residential control of various insects, also was detected frequently 

at small concentrations.

Concentrations of atrazine were analyzed using ELISA 

and confirmed with GC/MS methods. The coefficient of determination, R2, between the two methods for atrazine was 

0.87 (p-value = less than 0.001), indicating a statistically significant relation between the two methods of analysis (fig. 8). 

Therefore, data from the ELISA method, a more rapid analysis, 

are reported herein.

Regression analysis was used to estimate the concentration 

of atrazine in Cedar Creek from surrogate continuous real-time 

water-quality variables. Of the six continuous real-time waterquality variables, the best regression model was developed for 

atrazine using discharge and turbidity as independent variables 

(table 5). The coefficient of determination, R2

, and p-value 

were 0.92 and less than 0.001, respectively, indicating a statistically significant relation between the variables. The resulting 

equation:

 ATR = 0.0192Q – 0.003Turb +1.075, (11)

where

ATR is the concentration of atrazine, in micrograms per 

liter;

Q is stream discharge, in cubic feet per second; and

Turb is continuous turbidity, in nephelometric turbidity 

units;

showed a positive relation between atrazine and discharge, and 

a slightly negative relation between atrazine and turbidity. On 

the basis of equation 11, atrazine concentrations would increase 

with discharge in Cedar Creek, but concentrations would 

decrease slightly with increased turbidity.

Pesticide detection frequency for Cedar Creek and Lake 

Olathe were compared to preliminary data results from a 

national data set of about 75 stream sites in 49 river basins 

throughout the country that drained primarily agricultural land 

(fig. 9) (U.S. Geological Survey, 2001). Acetochlor, alachlor, 

atrazine, deethylatrazine, metolachlor, and simazine are all 

preemergent herbicides, or their degradation products, applied 

to corn, grain sorghum, and other crops and were detected at 

concentrations greater than 0.01 μg/L in Cedar Creek, 20 to 

64 percent more frequently than were detected in the national 

data set. Concentrations of these compounds were detected 9 to 

65 percent more frequently in Lake Olathe than in the national 

data set at concentrations greater than 0.01 μg/L. At concentrations greater than 0.10 μg/L, these same six compounds were 

detected 5 to 57 percent more frequently in Cedar Creek than in 

the national data set. In particular, at concentrations greater 

than 0.10 μg/L, atrazine and its degradate compound deethylatrazine were detected 50 percent more frequently in Cedar 

Creek than in the national data set. The higher detection frequency in samples from Cedar Creek than in the national data 

set may indicate greater corn or grain sorghum production or 

herbicide use or transport in the Lake Olathe watershed than in 

other agricultural watersheds in the country that were part of the 

national data set. Three of the pesticides, acetochlor, alachlor, 

and metolachlor, are only slightly soluble in water and, therefore, not very mobile. Transport of these pesticides through the 

watershed would occur adsorbed to sediment, probably during 

and after periods of storm runoff. However, the frequency of 

detection of these pesticides in Cedar Creek was between 

33 and 56 percent greater than the national data set, suggesting 

either greater use of these chemicals or greater sediment transport in the Lake Olathe watershed than in the sampled agricultural watersheds represented by the national data set. 

Concentrations of pesticides varied with streamflow but 

were persistent during both low-flow and high-flow conditions. 

Maximum concentrations of all 11 pesticides in Cedar Creek 

occurred during storm flows, indicating that the pesticides generally are transported by surface runoff. Streamflow in Cedar 

Creek occurs primarily during the late winter (January 1 

through March 31) and spring (April 1 through June 30), coinciding with the application of pesticides, and usually is dry or 

flows at less than 1 ft3/s through the summer (July 1 through 

September 30) and fall (October 1 through December 31). 

Therefore, it was not possible to determine whether pesticides 

were persistent in the stream throughout the year. 
Table 8. Statistical summary describing selected pesticide concentrations in water from Cedar Creek at Highway 56 and Lake Olathe, northeast Kansa[MCL, Maximum Contaminant Level (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2003); ELISA, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; <, less than; --, not applicable]

Pesticide

Concentration, in micrograms per liter

Number of 

samples Minimum Maximum Mean Median Standard 

Cedar Creek at Highway 56 (site 1, fig. 1)

Acetochlor 8 <0.004 1.07 0.477 0.308 0Alachlor 8 <.002 .494 .208 .134 Atrazine (ELISA) 14 .10 10 2.1 .41 3Deethylatrazine 8 .019 1.37 .453 .277 Diazinon 5 <.005 .039 .026 .026 Metolachlor 8 .036 1.27 .451 .148 Metribuzin 8 <.006 .120 .07 .070 Prometon 8 .005 .045 .024 .025 Simazine 8 <.011 .110 .036 .020 Tebuthiuron 5 .004 .015 .012 .015 

Lake Olathe near dam (site 2, fig. 1)

Acetochlor

epilimnion 6 <.004 .322 .123 .087 hypolimnion 3 .014 .770 .367 .318 

Alachlor

epilimnion 6 <.002 .029 .018 .018 hypolimnion 3 .006 .111 .058 .058 

Atrazine (ELISA)

epilimnion 16 .43 4.3 1.9 1.7 1hypolimnion 11 .25 5.0 1.9 1.0 1

Deethylatrazine

epilimnion 6 .093 .417 .206 .178 hypolimnion 3 .168 .590 .355 .306 

Diazinon

epilimnion 6 .005 .037 .017 .013 hypolimnion 2 .003 .015 .009 .009 
Metolachlor Lake Olathe near dam (site 2, fig. 1)—Continued

epilimnion 6 0.07 0.86 0.37 0.29 0hypolimnion 3 .23 .88 .46 .27 

Metribuzin

epilimnion 6 <.006 <.050 -- -- -- hypolimnion 3 .042 .042 .042 .042 -- 

Prometon

epilimnion 6 <.011 .036 .024 .026 hypolimnion 3 .026 .040 .033 .033 

Simazine

epilimnion 6 .009 .061 .019 .012 hypolimnion 3 .007 .054 .031 .031 

Tebuthiuron

epilimnion 6 .011 <.016 .011 .011 -- hypolimnion 2 .013 .016 .014 .014 

Lake Olathe at upstream end (site 3, fig. 1)

Acetochlor 4 .038 .107 .071 .07 Alachlor 4 <.002 .04 .031 .031 Atrazine (ELISA) 6 .39 4.2 1.9 1.6 1Deethylatrazine 4 .186 .390 .27 .253 Diazinon 4 .006 .013 .009 .008 Metolachlor 4 .162 .606 .295 .205 Prometon 4 .025 .037 .029 .028 Simazine 4 .009 .054 .021 .011 Tebuthiuron 4 .013 .015 .014 .014 

1The Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) is a standard that applies to treated drinking water.

Table 8. Statistical summary describing selected pesticide concentrations in water from Cedar Creek at Highway 56 and Lake Olathe, northeast Kansa[MCL, Maximum Contaminant Level (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2003); ELISA, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; <, less than; --, not applicable]

Pesticide

Concentration, in micrograms per liter

Number of 

samples Minimum Maximum Mean Median Standard 
Surface-Water-Quality Conditions 31

Concentrations of pesticides in Lake Olathe varied during 

the year. Concentrations were usually larger in the lake during 

the late spring and summer than during winter and early spring. 

In particular, in 2001 and 2002 concentrations of atrazine were 

observed to be larger than 3.0 μg/L during August of both years 

(fig. 10); however, the smallest concentrations of atrazine 

occurred during the fall. These observations reflect atrazineapplication practices and transport characteristics in the Lake 

Olathe watershed during late spring. 

Concentrations of pesticides were compared to drinkingwater-quality criteria established by USEPA. Maximum concentrations of the three pesticides with criteria identified in this 

study were less than the Maximum Contaminant Levels 

(MCLs), with the exception of atrazine (table 8). USEPA has 

established a drinking-water criterion for atrazine that is 

based on an annual average not to exceed 3.0 μg/L on the 

basis of water samples collected at least once per quarter 

(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2003). KDHE has 

established atrazine criteria for drinking water and aquatic 

health that are the same as the USEPA criterion. The KDHE 

acute aquatic-life toxicity criterion for atrazine in individual 

samples is 170 μg/L, and the aquatic-life chronic toxicity criterion is 3.0 μg/L (Kansas Department of Health and Environment, 2001). However, the atrazine drinking-water criterion is 

based on an annual average, and annual average concentrations 

of atrazine did not exceed the MCL during the study period. 

Pesticide criteria usually are based on results from singlechemical toxicity tests and do not consider the combined effects 

of exposure to low-level mixtures of pesticides. For example, 

75 percent of the samples collected from Cedar Creek contained 

mixtures of at least five pesticides, and 89 percent of the samples collected from Lake Olathe contained mixtures of at least 

five pesticides. Further, Federal or State criteria or standards do 

not exist for many pesticides or their degradation compounds.

Suspended Sediment and Nutrient Loads and Yields in

Cedar Creek and Lake Olathe

Regression-estimated loads and yields of several chemicals were calculated for calendar years 2001 and 2002 on the 

basis of approximately 17,500 measurements (hourly measurements for 2 years) made by the continuously recording instream water-quality monitor located in Cedar Creek at Highway 56 (site 1, fig. 1). The contributing-drainage area 

(6,912 acres) for the annual load estimates included the 

2,088 ungaged acres between the water-quality sampling site 

on Cedar Creek at 56 Highway (site 1, fig. 1) and Lake Olathe.

10

8.0

9.0

6.0

4.0

5.0

7.0

2.0

1.0

0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0 10

3.0

0

Atrazine concentration analyzed using gas chromatography/mass

spectrometry, in micrograms per liter

Atrazine concentration analyzed using immunoassay (ELISA), in micrograms per liter

y = 0.8416x + 0.1682

R2= 0.87

p-value less than 0.001

Figure 8. Concentrations of atrazine in water samples analyzed using immunoassay in relation to concentrations analyzed 

using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry for Cedar Creek at Highway 56 (site 1) and Lake Olathe near dam (site 2), 

2000–02. Location of sampling sites shown in figure 1.
32 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

Estimated Sediment and Nutrient Loads

The total suspended-sediment load transported to the lake 

during 2001 (2.85 million lb) was one-fourth the 45-year annual 

average lake bottom-sediment deposition, 12.6 million lb, estimated on the basis of the lake-bottom sediment analysis done in 

2000 (Mau, 2002). Suspended-sediment load estimates for 

2002 were nine times less than the 45-year average. In addition, 

the sediment load during 2001 was significantly less than the 

45-year average load estimated on the basis of the lake-bottom 

sediment analysis (Mau, 2002), which suggests either there are 

other sediment transport mechanisms not accounted for (recent 

total phosphorus concentrations are higher than the average historic concentrations) or that sediment is not transported uniformly from year to year. Large, intermittent storm runoff likely 

transports the majority of sediment, and this storm runoff may 

not have occurred in 2001 or 2002 to the extent it does during 

an average year.

Nitrogen and phosphorus generally are associated with 

sediment loads that are transported from streams to reservoirs. 

Found primarily with finer sediment fractions, the incorporation of phosphorus into sediment effectively removes phosphorus from the water column, and the reservoir sediment becomes 

the primary sink or trap for phosphorus (Morris and Fan, 1998, 

p. 4.18). The computation of nutrient loads showed that the 

major contributors of nutrients from Cedar Creek to Lake 

Olathe were related to various forms of nitrogen (table 9). The 

fraction of nitrogen that is typically organic (TKN) represented 

nearly 50 percent of the total nutrient load to Lake Olathe 

during 2001 and 2002 (45 and 47 percent, respectively) 

(table 9). The fraction of nitrogen that is soluble and represented by nitrite plus nitrate (TIN) also accounted for nearly 

50 percent of the total nutrient load to Lake Olathe during 2001 

and 2002 (48 and 45 percent, respectively). Total nitrogen, the 

sum of the fractions of TIN and TKN, represented more than 

90 percent of the total nutrient load (by mass) delivered to Lake 

Olathe during 2001 and 2002, whereas total phosphorus represented only about 7 and 8 percent of the total nutrient load for 

the same periods (table 9). The wide range in values of the various forms of nitrogen in 2001 and 2002 probably are the result 

of differences in streamflow. The nitrogen regression equations 

used to make the estimates are linked to streamflow and turbidity, both of which were greater in 2001 than in 2002.

Nutrient loads were largest during spring (April–June) 

2001 and 2002 when fertilizers and pesticides are applied to 

agricultural and residential land and the greatest amount of seasonal precipitation and runoff occurs (fig. 11). In addition, total 

streamflow measured at Cedar Creek at Highway 56 at Olathe, 

Kansas, was, as previously stated, three times larger in calendar 

year 2001 than 2002 (table 9). Streamflow serves as the 

Acetochlor

Alachlor

Atrazine

Deethylatrazine

Diazinon

Metolachlor

Metribuzin

Prometon

Simazine

Tebuthiuron

Pesticide or degradation product

Percentage of samples with detected concentrations

greater than 0.01 microgram per liter

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

(8) (9)

(9)

(8)

(8)

(5)

(9)

(8)

(8)

(8)

(8)

(5)

(9)

(9)

(9)

(9)

(8)

(8)

(14) (27)

(1,240) (1,869)

(1,852)

(1,830)

(1,887)

(1,887)

(1,854)

(1,874)

(1,874)

(1,803)

(1,879)

Cedar Creek (site 1), 2000–02

Lake Olathe (site 2), 2000–02

National data set, 1992–98

Number in parentheses is

 number of samples analyzed

Figure 9. Detection frequency of selected pesticide compounds in water from Cedar Creek at Highway 56 and Lake Olathe 

near dam (site 2), 2000–02, at concentrations greater than or equal to 0.01 microgram per liter. Location of sampling sites 

shown in figure 1.
Surface-Water-Quality Conditions 33

transport mechanism for nutrient loading to Lake Olathe. 

Approximately 60 percent of the total annual nutrient load for 

total nitrogen and total phosphorus occurred during spring 

2001, the months of April through June (table 9). Similarly, in 

2001, about 57 percent of the TKN load occurred during the 

spring months. In 2002, 88 percent of the TKN load occurred 

during the spring months, and about 89 and 95 percent of the 

total nitrogen loads and total phosphorus loads, respectively, 

occurred during the same months. The total phosphorus load 

transported to Lake Olathe during 2001 (10,700 lb) was similar 

to the 45-year average phosphorus load contributed to the lake 

estimated on the basis of the lake-bottom sediment analysis 

done in 2000 (9,720 lb) (Mau, 2002). However, the total phosphorus load transported to Lake Olathe during 2002 (3,890 lb) 

was considerably less than the 45-year average and may be 

indicative of less precipitation and sediment transport in 2002 

compared to an average year. 

Orthophosphate, the most available form of phosphate, is 

the soluble, inorganic fraction of phosphorus that is taken up 

directly by plant cells. A statistically significant correlation 

existed between stream discharge, Q, and orthophosphate (OP) 

that resulted in a coefficient of determination, R2

, of 0.83 

(table 5). Typically, the orthophosphate fraction represents 

10 percent or less of the total phosphorus in natural streams and 

lakes (Wetzel, 2001). However, at Cedar Creek, depending on 

the season, orthophosphate represented 21 to 67 percent of the 

total phosphorus load (table 9). The mean percentage of total 

phosphorus load represented by orthophosphate for 2001–02 

was 29 percent, indicating that either the regression model 

overestimated the orthophosphate load or that there are large 

sources of soluble phosphorus in the Lake Olathe watershed. 

This is significant because the watershed provided a large continuous nutrient supply for algae that could have led to algal 

blooms and subsequent taste-and-odor occurrences in drinking 

water. Large percentage orthophosphate loads determined in 

the Lake Olathe watershed also have been identified in other 

watersheds in the United States (Meyer and Likens, 1979; Sullivan, 1999; Journey and Gill, 2001). Source areas of orthophosphate in Cedar Creek were not investigated as part of this 

study but are probably nonpoint-source related to livestock or 

septic systems.

The significance of nonpoint and point sources on water 

quality can be evaluated by comparing the statistical significance of the streamflow regression coefficient (Journey and 

Gill, 2001). A significant, positive relation between streamflow 

and nutrient concentration indicates that nonpoint sources are 

the primary source of input, provided ground-water contributions of nutrients are negligible. This is a result of contributions 

from overland flow due to increased runoff from precipitation 

that also increased discharge. If the relation is negative, nutrient 

point sources are the primary source of input. For example, the 

regression equation for Cedar Creek for orthophosphate: 

0.10

1.0

10

Concentration, in micrograms per liter (μg/L)

Cedar Creek (site 1, fig. 1)

Lake Olathe (epilimnion) near dam (site 2, fig. 1)

Lake Olathe at upstream end (site 3, fig. 1)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2003)

drinking-water criterion

3.0 μg/L 

May

June

July

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

Dec.

Jan.

Feb.

Mar.

Apr.

Nov.

May

June

July

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

Dec.

Nov.

Jan.

Feb.

Mar.

Apr.

May

June

July

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

2000 2001 2002

Figure 10. Concentrations of atrazine in water samples collected from Cedar Creek at Highway 56 and Lake Olathe, 

2000–02. Location of sampling sites shown in figure 1.
Table 9. Summary of estimated seasonal and annual loads of suspended sediment and nutrient loads in Cedar Creek at Highway 56, Olathe, nort2001–02.[Loads are rounded to three significant figures.]

Season

Total 

discharge 

(acre-feet)

Estimated load, in pounds

Total 

suspended 

sediment

Ammonia, as 

nitrogen

Ammonia plus 

organic 

nitrogen 

(TKN), as 

nitrogen

Nitrite plus 

nitrate (TIN), 

as nitrogen

Total nitrogen 

(TKN plus TIN)

Phosphate, 

ortho (OP), as 

phosphorus

Phosphtotal (T

phosph

Winter (Jan. – Mar.) 2001 2,590 413,000 6,600 8,950 11,200 20,100 496 Winter (Jan. – Mar.) 2002 657 179,000 1,390 2,050 1,820 3,900 67 Spring (Apr. – June) 2001 4,740 1,370,000 27,200 37,800 43,200 81,000 2,200 6Spring (Apr. – June) 2002 2,750 974,000 10,000 19,800 19,500 39,300 958 3Summer (July – Sept.) 2001 3,350 892,000 8,430 17,000 13,900 30,900 605 2Summer (July – Sept.) 2002 25 36,900 51 78 63 141 2 Fall (Oct. – Dec.) 2001 616 176,000 1,320 2,200 1,750 3,900 66 Fall (Oct. – Dec.) 2002 138 182,000 294 466 364 830 13 Total 2001 11,300 2,850,000 43,500 65,900 70,000 136,000 3,370 10Total 2002 3,570 1,370,000 11,700 22,400 21,800 44,200 1,040 3
Surface-Water-Quality Conditions 35

OP = 0.0002Q + 0.022, (12)

where

OP is the concentration of orthophosphate, in milligrams 

per liter; and

Q is stream discharge, in cubic feet per second;

has a coefficient of determination, R2, of 0.83, and a t-statistic 

value of 6.60 for Q (table 5). Therefore, Q is statistically significant in the equation, the relation is positive (t-statistic greater 

than 2) and indicates that nonpoint sources of orthophosphate 

are the primary source of orthophosphate input to Cedar Creek. 

A. Total suspended sediment and forms of nitrogen

Estimated load, in pounds Precipitation, in inches

B. Total suspended sediment and forms of phosphorus

Winter

2001

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

1

10

100

1,000

10,000

100,000

1,000,000

10,000,000

1

10

100

1,000

10,000

100,000

1,000,000

10,000,000

Winter

2002

Spring

2001

Spring

2002

Summer

2001

Fall

2001

Total

2001

Summer

2002

Fall

2002

Total

2002

C. Precipitation

Total suspended sediment

Orthophosphate (OP) Total phosphorus (TP)

Total nitrogen (TN)

Ammonia plus o Nitrite plus nitrate, as nitrogen (TIN) rganic nitrogen, as nitrogen (TKN)

Ammonia, as nitrogen Total suspended sediment

Figure 11. Estimated seasonal loads of suspended sediment and selected nutrients compared to seasonal precipitation 

for Cedar Creek at Highway 56 (site 1), 2001–02. Location of sampling site shown in figure 1.
36 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

Estimated Nutrient Yields

To directly compare nitrogen and phosphorus loading 

characteristics among different locations, annual loads are 

divided by the sampling-site drainage areas and are referred to 

commonly as yields. The resulting values are in units of mass 

per area as shown in table 10.

 There were significant differences in the computed total 

nitrogen and total phosphorus yields to Lake Olathe between 

2001 and 2002 (table 10). Total nitrogen and total phosphorus 

yields were about three times larger in 2001 than 2002, which 

probably is related to streamflow. Nutrients and other chemicals from agricultural and residential runoff are transported 

through Cedar Creek and then to Lake Olathe during or following periods of precipitation. Increased precipitation followed 

by an increase in streamflow resulted in an increase in chemical 

transport to Lake Olathe.

Different land-use practices contribute different amounts 

of nutrients from nonpoint sources. Nutrient yields reported in 

the literature were summarized in a study by Reckhow and others (1980) for a variety of land-use practices (table 11). The 

range in values is due to differences in climate, soils, and landmanagement practices in each land-use category. The mean 

annual yields of total nitrogen and total phosphorus from Cedar 

Creek, 13.5 and 1.1 lb/acre, respectively, are within the range 

for agricultural land-use yields (Reckhow and others, 1980) 

(table 11). Agricultural land use includes cropland and pastureland and is the type of land use commonly observed in the Lake 

Olathe watershed. The mean annual total phosphorus yield estimated from concentration and streamflow data for Cedar Creek, 

1.1 lb/acre, was 20 percent larger than the 45-year mean total 

phosphorus yield of 0.91 lb/acre determined through reservoir 

bottom-sediment analysis (Mau, 2002); however, the values are 

similar considering the different methods used to compute total 

phosphorus yields. 

Mean annual total phosphorus yields have been computed 

for many reservoirs in Kansas, ranging from 0.04 lb/acre at 

Webster Reservoir in western Kansas to 4.7 lb/acre at Perry 

Lake in northeastern Kansas (table 12). Differences in yields 

can be attributed to differences in land-use practices, precipitation, streamflow, and geomorphic and soil characteristics. 

Hillsdale Lake is the closest lake to Lake Olathe and is located 

about 25 mi south of Lake Olathe. Comparison of mean annual 

total phosphorus yields from the two lakes, 1.7 and 1.1 lb/acre, 

respectively, indicated a larger amount of total phosphorus was 

present in Hillsdale Lake than in Lake Olathe. Further investigation of the two watersheds revealed that the Hillsdale Lake 

watershed is more populated than the Lake Olathe watershed 

and that several point-source wastewater-treatment facilities are 

present in the Hillsdale Lake watershed and could be responsible for the larger total phosphorus loads and yields (Juracek, 

1997). However, it should be noted that the period of record for 

Hillsdale Lake is 1981–96, compared to the Lake Olathe 

period of record 1956–2000. These differences, along with 

differences in precipitation, may account for some of the difference between the two watersheds.

Nutrient Limiting Factors

Factors are said to be limiting if their introduction into a 

system increases the rate of net primary production (National 

Research Council, 2000). When applied to nutrients, limiting 

factors are significant because they can affect growth rates of 

different algal species that lead to undesirable results in aquatic

systems. Concentrations of both nitrogen and phosphorus are 

detectable in Lake Olathe throughout the year. Because phosphorus is frequently the least abundant nutrient in the environment, it most commonly limits biological activity (Horne and 

Goldman, 1994, p. 152). 

Nutrient ratios commonly are used to determine which 

major plant nutrients are limiting factors in lakes and reservoirs. 

These ratios account for the nutritional requirements of phytoplankton relative to the availability in the environment. Only 

samples from the near surface, where light is available for photosynthesis, were used in the computation of nutrient ratios in 

this report. The reference mass ratio of 7.2 nitrogen to 1 phosphorus was used (7.2N:1P) as a measure of the chemical needs 

of phytoplankton during photosynthesis (Horne and Goldman, 

1994, p. 154). Typically, mass ratios greater than 12 indicate 

increasing phosphorus limitation, whereas ratios less than 7 

indicate an increasing nitrogen limitation. Ratios between 7 and 

12 indicate that both nutrients, or neither, may limit algal production (Carney, 2001; Wetzel, 2001). 

Two other metrics were used in this report to help determine the relative roles of light and nutrient limitation in Lake 

Olathe (Scheffer, 1998; Carney, 2001):

 NAT = 1/SD – 0.025(Chl), and (13)

LA = Zmix(NAT), (14)

where

NAT is nonalgal turbidity, in meters-1;

SD is Secchi depth, in meters;

Chl is chlorophyll-a concentration, in micrograms per 

liter; 

LA is light availability in the mixed layer, dimensionless; and

Zmix is depth of the mixed layer (depth that 99 percent 

of incident light will penetrate in the water column, also known as euphotic zone, where 

sufficient light is available for photosynthesis), 

in meters.

Nonalgal turbidity (NAT) is a measure of the level of suspended silt and (or) clay in the water and affects water clarity 

and light penetration. Values of NAT less than 0.4 m-1 tend to 

indicate very low levels of suspended silt and (or) clay, whereas 

values of NAT greater than 1.0 m-1 indicate that inorganic particles are very important in creating turbidity. Values of NAT 

between 0.4 and 1.0 m-1 represent a range where inorganic 
Table 10. Estimated annual and mean annual nutrient loads and yields for Cedar Creek at Highway 56, Olathe, northeast Kansas, 2001–02.[Loads rounded to three significant figures. lb, pounds; lb/acre, pounds per acre]

Calendar year

Annual loads

Ammonia, as 

nitrogen (lb)

Ammonia plus 

organic 

nitrogen 

(TKN), as 

nitrogen (lb)

Nitrite plus 

nitrate (TIN), 

as nitrogen 

(lb)

Total nitrogen 

(TN) 

(lb)

Phosphate, 

ortho (OP), as 

phosphorus 

(lb)

Phosphorus, total (TP), as 

phosphorus 

(lb)

Total nutrient 

load 

(lb)

Percentage 

TKN of total 

nitrogen load, 

as nitrogen

Percentage 

TIN of total 

nitrogen 

load, as 

nitrogen

2001 43,500 65,900 70,000 136,000 3,370 10,700 147,000 48 51 2002 11,700 22,400 21,800 44,200 1,040 3,890 48,100 51 49 Mean annual 27,600 44,200 45,900 90,100 2,200 7,300 97,600 50 50 

Calendar year

1Annual yields

1Annual loads divided by a contributing-drainage area of 6,912 acres.

Ammonia, as 

nitrogen 

(lb/acre)

Ammonia plus 

organic 

nitrogen 

(TKN), as 

nitrogen 

(lb/acre)

Nitrite plus 

nitrate (TIN), 

as nitrogen 

(lb/acre)

Total nitrogen 

(TN)

(lb/acre)

Phosphate, 

ortho (OP), as 

phosphorus 

(lb/acre)

Phosphorus, total (TP), as 

phosphorus 

(lb/acre)

2001 6.3 9.5 10.1 19.7 0.5 1.52002 1.7 3.2 3.2 6.4 .2 .6Mean annual 4.0 6.4 6.6 13.0 .3 1.1
38 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

Table 11. Ranges in nutrient yields from nonpoint sources (modified from Reckhow and others, 1980).

[Yields were converted from kilograms per hectare per year in Reckhow and others (1980)]

Dominant land use

Nutrient yields, in pounds per acre per year

Maximum Minimum Mean Median

Total nitrogen export

Forest 11.08 2.44 5.06 4.35

Row crops 140.89 3.72 28.50 15.93

Nonrow crops 13.84 1.72 9.19 10.76

Pasture 54.69 2.62 15.31 9.19

Feedlots 14,125 1,205 5,505 5,168

Mixed agriculture 73.46 4.99 29.21 25.31

Urban 68.15 2.62 17.65 9.74

Total phosphorus export

Forest 1.47 .04 .42 .37

Row crops 32.92 .46 7.89 3.96

Nonrow crops 5.13 .18 1.91 1.35

Pasture 8.67 .25 2.66 1.43

Feedlots 1,407 37.70 533 396

Mixed agriculture 5.75 .14 2.00 1.61

Urban 11.03 .34 3.38 1.95

Table 12. Total estimated sediment deposition, phosphorus concentrations, and phosphorus loads and yields 

for selected reservoirs in Kansas, 1995–2002.

[lb, pounds; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; lb/acre, pounds per acre]

Reservoir

(fig. 1)

Period of 

record

(years)

Total sediment 

deposition

(million lb)

Mean total 

phosphorus 

concentration

(mg/kg)

Mean annual 

total 

phosphorus 

load

(lb)

Mean annual 

total 

phosphorus 

yield

(lb/acre)

Cedar Lake1

1

Mau (2002).

62 595 1,540 14,700 3.7

Lake Olathe1 45 567 774 9,720 1.1

Webster Reservoir2

2Christensen (1999).

42 3,300 374 29,400 .04

Cheney Reservoir3

3Mau and Christensen (2000).

34 15,400 480 226,000 .38

Tuttle Creek Lake4

4Juracek and Mau (2002).

37 194,000 481 2,520,000 .54

Perry Lake5

5

Juracek (2003).

39 97,200 1,100 3,350,000 4.7

Hillsdale Lake6

6Juracek (1997).

15 4,000 509 137,000 1.7
Surface-Water-Quality Conditions 39

turbidity affects water clarity but is not a significant factor until 

values exceed 1.0 m-1. 

LA is a measure of potential algal response to nutrients. 

The depth of the mixed layer, Zmix, was measured by submerging a light meter to a depth in the water column that represented 

1 percent of the incident light value. Values of LA less than 3 

indicate there is abundant light and a high algal response to 

nutrients, whereas values greater than 6 indicate insufficient 

light penetration and low algal response to nutrients.

A statistical summary of the nutrient ratios and other limiting factors determined for Lake Olathe is provided in table 13. 

The total nitrogen to total phosphorus ratios were above the 

threshold value of 12 for each sampling date in 2000–02. The 

mean and median ratio values for 2001 and 2002 were approximately double the threshold value and indicated that phosphorus may be the nutrient in part responsible for limiting algal 

growth in Lake Olathe. Varied responses were observed for 

nonalgal turbidity (NAT) in 2001 and 2002. Although mean 

values of NAT for 2000–02 were approximately 1.0 m-1, indicating that the primary cause of turbidity in Lake Olathe was silt 

and clay particles and not organic particles (algal biomass), 

there were periods when algal biomass was dominant. Values 

of NAT during February–April 2002 were less than 0.4 m-1, 

indicating that organic particles, probably related to runoff and 

suspended sediment, were responsible for the lake turbidity. 

This may be a result of the reduced inflow (and subsequent less 

sediment transport) to the lake during January–March 2002 

compared with January–March 2001. However, the computed 

value of NAT in April 2002 was 0.33 m-1 during a period when 

inflows to Lake Olathe in April–May 2002 were more than double the inflow of April–May 2001. It is unclear why increased 

inflow to Lake Olathe would result in less turbid water in the 

lake and low NAT values. The algal response to nutrients on 

the basis of light availability in Lake Olathe showed that there 

was abundant light in the mixed-layer zone (Zmix) for algal 

production, especially during the high algal production months 

(May to August). During those months, light availability in the 

mixed layer typically ranged from 1 to 4 (table 13). However, 

median values in 2001 and 2002 were 8.13 and 3.44, respectively, indicating that light availability necessary for algal 

growth was substantially better in 2002 than in 2001 (table 13). 

In summary, the results of limiting factor analysis indicate 

that during 2001 and 2002 Lake Olathe was phosphorus limited 

throughout the year and that turbidity, with some exceptions, 

was caused by silt and clay particles. In addition, algal growth 

was limited by insufficient sunlight penetrating the mixed-layer 

zone during 2001, but light availability was abundant 

during 2002.

Relation of Chlorophyll and Nutrients to Trophic State of 

Lake Olathe

Controlling nutrient loads transported to a lake is an 

important regulator of algal productivity, or the rate of biomass 

formation. Within reservoirs, much of the primary productivity 

is from phytoplankton (algae suspended in the water column). 

Because of the typically large drainage-basin area of a reservoir 

in comparison to a natural lake, the average primary productivity in reservoirs tends to be higher than in natural lake systems 

(Wetzel, 2001, p. 376). As a result, increases in nutrient loads 

to reservoirs provide phytoplankton (algae) with an additional 

food source that can lead to extensive algal blooms. 

The proliferation of algal blooms increases the trophic 

state, which refers to the nutrient status of the water, the biological production occurring in the water, and the morphological 

characteristics of the reservoir basin itself. Trophic state also is 

related to the biological responses to factors such as nutrient 

additions that can be altered by factors such as season, grazing, 

mixing depth, and so forth (Naumann, 1929).

Concentrations of chlorophyll-a were used in this study to 

provide a measure of the trophic state of Lake Olathe, a relative 

classification system that is a measure of the nutrient enrichment in a water body. KDHE has developed guidelines similar 

to those compiled by USEPA to establish a lake-use impairment 

identification system in Kansas (table 14) (U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency, 1990; Carney, 2001). The trophic states of 

this system that apply to Lake Olathe are mesotrophic and 

eutrophic. Mesotrophic reservoirs are those in transition 

between oligotrophic and eutrophic conditions and generally 

contain chlorophyll-a concentrations in the range from 3 to 

11 μg/L. Eutrophic reservoirs typically have large nutrient concentrations, low light penetration, frequent algal blooms, and 

high densities of phytoplankton and zooplankton, whereas the 

characteristics of oligotrophic reservoirs are just the opposite of 

eutrophic reservoirs (Horne and Goldman, 1994, p. 465; Wetzel, 2001, p. 274). 

The trophic states categorized by chlorophyll-a concentrations are not always clearly defined. To address this, Carlson 

(1977) developed a trophic classification system by creating a 

biomass-based trophic-state index (TSI). The TSI is 

represented on a scale of 0 to 100, and every major trophic division of 10 represents a doubling of algal biomass concentration 

(Sprague, 2002). Reservoirs with TSI values less than 30 are 

considered oligotrophic, and TSI values between 50 and 70 are 

considered eutrophic (Wetzel, 2001, p. 284). The following 

equations to predict Carlson’s TSI were developed on the basis 

of linear regression modeling (Carlson, 1977): 

TSI(Chl) = 9.81 ln(Chl) + 30.6, (15)

TSI(TP) = 14.42 ln(TP) +4.15, and (16)

TSI(SD) = 60 – 14.41 ln(SD), (17)

where

TSI(Chl) is the trophic-state index that is based on chlorophyll-a concentrations;

TSI(TP) is the trophic-state index that is based on total 

phosphorus concentration;

TSI(SD) is the trophic-state index that is based on 

Secchi disk transparency;
Table 13. Limiting factor analysis for Lake Olathe near dam (site 2), northeast Kansas, 2000–02.[mg/L, milligrams per liter; μg/L, micrograms per liter; ft, feet; m, meter; --, not applicable]

Sampling date

(month/day/

year)

Total nitrogen

(mg/L)

Phosphorus, 

total, as 

phosphorus 

(mg/L)

Ratio of total 

nitrogen to 

total 

phosphorus

Real-time 

continuous 

fluorescence

(μg/L)

Secchi depth

(ft)

Secchi depth 

(m)

Depth of 

mixed layer 

(Zmix)

(ft)

Depth of 

mixed layer 

(Zmix) 

(m)

N

t

(N

2000

6/21/2000 0.72 0.04 18 11.3 2.40 0.74 26.2 7.99 7/20/2000 .76 .04 19 10.6 3.00 .91 26.2 7.99 8/22/2000 .79 .04 20 -- 3.30 1.01 16.4 5.00 9/19/2000 .81 .04 20 8.8 3.30 1.01 19.7 6.00 10/24/2000 1.17 .07 17 -- 2.46 .76 37.6 11.5 12/7/2000 1.29 .06 22 3.8 2.30 .70 38.0 11.6 

Mean .92 .05 19 8.62 2.79 .86 27.4 8.35 Median .80 .04 19 9.70 2.73 .84 26.2 7.99 

2001

3/20/2001 3.28 .14 23 31.1 1.64 .50 42.0 12.8 4/18/2001 2.77 .03 87 4.02 3.00 .91 40.0 12.2 5/17/2001 1.80 .06 30 16.1 4.59 1.40 15.0 4.57 6/27/2001 1.68 .04 45 8.84 2.90 .88 15.0 4.57 8/14/2001 .84 .04 19 5.63 3.25 .99 14.0 4.27 10/23/2001 1.08 .05 20 16.7 2.08 .63 36.0 11.0 

Mean 1.91 .06 37 13.7 2.91 .89 27.0 8.24 Median 1.74 .05 26 12.5 2.95 .89 25.5 7.78 

2002

2/21/2002 1.21 .03 34 10.1 6.23 1.90 39.0 11.9 4/23/2002 1.10 .04 27 11.6 5.33 1.62 30.0 9.14 6/4/2002 1.32 .05 27 22.9 -- -- 10.0 3.05 6/18/2002 1.21 .05 22 22.5 2.88 .88 18.0 5.49 7/23/2002 .93 .04 22 18.0 2.50 .76 14.0 4.27 9/6/2002 1.14 .06 20 11.4 1.48 .45 12.0 3.66 10/30/2002 1.40 .07 20 5.70 1.35 .41 33.0 10.1 

Mean 1.19 .05 25 14.6 3.29 1.00 22.3 6.80 Median 1.21 .05 22 11.6 2.69 .82 18.0 5.49 Lake Olathe mean 

(2000–02)

1.33 .05 27 12.9 3.00 .91 25.4 7.74 

Lake Olathe median

(2000–02)

1.17 .04 22 11.3 2.89 .88 26.2 7.99 
Table 14. Kansas lake-use impairment identification system (from Carney, 1998, p. 11).[μg/L, micrograms per liter}

Measurement 

standard

Concentration 

range

(μg/L)

Trophic state Description

Chlorophyll-a 6.0 –7.0 Upper mesotrophic Aesthetic problems begin to be noticed.

9.0–10 Slightly eutrophic Definite observable levels of algae. Taste-and-odor problems become noticeable and frequent e

12–15 Eutrophic Algae levels tend to be described as moderate. Swimming uses start to be perceived as impaired15–20 Upper eutrophic Algae levels described as high. Contact recreational uses impaired. Water-supply use impaired20–25 Very eutrophic No swimming rules begin to be imposed due to concerns for human health and safety.30–80 Hypereutrophic Severe algae scums typically reported. Recreational, aesthetic, and consumptive uses severely i

support, biodiversity, and aquatic-habitat quality significantly impaired.
42 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

ln is the natural logarithm function;

Chl is the chlorophyll-a concentration, in micrograms per liter;

TP is the total phosphorus concentration, in 

micrograms per liter; and

SD is the Secchi disk transparency, in meters. 

The relations among the three TSI variables serve as a 

check on assumptions about the interactions between various 

components of the reservoir (Carlson, 1977). The three variables used to compute TSI should be similar in value to each 

other. Any differences between TSI values may provide information on biological activity and the effects of nutrients in the 

reservoir. Derivations of the linear regression models used in 

the computation of TSI suggest that total phosphorus TSI may 

be a better predictor of the trophic condition of the lake during 

the summer months than either chlorophyll or Secchi depth TSI 

(Wetzel, 2001, p. 284). Secchi depth TSI should only be used 

if phosphorus and chlorophyll data are not available.

TSI computations were similar (indicating eutrophic conditions) between methods that were based on chlorophyll and 

total phosphorus and indicated that Lake Olathe was eutrophic 

(table 15). The mean value for TSI that was based on chlorophyll during 2001–02 was 55 compared to a TSI value of 63 that 

was based on total phosphorus. TSIs that were based on Secchi 

depth were less than indices that were based on chlorophyll and 

total phosphorus, reflecting the uncertainty and subjectivity 

associated with using the Secchi disk. 

The equation used to determine Carlson’s TSI showed that 

total phosphorus concentrations of more than 24 μg/L resulted 

in a TSI of greater than 50 and led to a eutrophic designation. 

Mean concentrations of total phosphorus for 2000–02 (table 4) 

were much larger than 0.02 mg/L and suggest that Lake Olathe 

was eutrophic during the years of this study.

The relations among nutrient concentrations in stream 

inflow, lake nutrient concentrations, and trophic conditions in a 

lake are complex. However, empirical models have been developed to estimate in-lake nutrient concentrations for a variety of 

lake types and climatic conditions. One model in particular by 

Vollenweider (1975) provides a measure of total phosphorus 

entering a lake and the amount retained in the lake. The model 

computes the in-lake total phosphorus concentration (P), in milligrams per liter, using the following equation:

P = L/[(vs +(z/τ)], (18)

where 

L is the phosphorus yield, in grams per square meter per 

year;

vs is the apparent settling velocity, in meters per year;

z is the mean lake depth, in meters; and

τ is the hydraulic residence time, in years.

The model assumes immediate and complete mixing of the 

input phosphorus in the lake, that outflow phosphorus concentrations are equal to in-lake phosphorus concentrations, that the 

phosphorus sedimentation rate is proportional to its 

concentration, and that there are negligible seasonal fluctuations in phosphorus loads. The hydraulic residence time is the 

time required for water in the reservoir to be replaced by either 

inflowing water or removed by outflowing water (Sprague, 

2002). Using the apparent settling velocity of 10 m/yr estimated 

by Vollenweider (1975), a phosphorus yield of 0.12 (g/m2

)/yr 

(converted from 1.1 (lb/acre)/yr in table 10), a mean lake depth 

of 5.5 m (18.2 ft) (table 1), and a mean hydraulic residence time 

of 0.45 year (table 16), an in-lake total phosphorus concentration of 0.005 mg/L was computed from equation 18. The computed total phosphorus concentration was 10 times less than the 

observed mean Lake Olathe epilimnion total phosphorus concentration (0.05 mg/L; table 4) and indicates that a more robust 

model is necessary to simulate water-quality conditions and 

trophic response in Lake Olathe. A more robust model would 

better explain nutrient conditions in Lake Olathe as well as biomass uptake, sedimentation, and water-quality changes in 

outflow volumes.

Atrazine Loads in Cedar Creek

Atrazine loads were estimated through regression analysis 

using ELISA atrazine sample results as the response variable 

(y value) and continuous discharge and continuous turbidity as 

the explanatory variables (x value). The regression model is 

presented in table 5. This model was used to estimate hourly 

atrazine concentrations which were then multiplied by the 

stream discharge and a conversion factor to determine loads. 

The hourly loads were summed seasonally and for each year in 

table 17. Load estimates of atrazine for complete calendar 

years 2001 and 2002 were evaluated in this study. 

Atrazine loads are directly related to streamflow and atrazine concentrations, so that as streamflow or concentration 

increases, atrazine load increases. In northeast Kansas, it has 

been shown that large concentrations of atrazine coincide with 

periods of large streamflow, and usually this occurs immediately after atrazine applications during May through July (Pope 

and others, 1997).

Table 15. Mean trophic-state index (TSI) values for Lake Olathe 

near dam (site 2), northeast Kansas, 2000–02.

Year TSI 

(chlorophyll)

TSI 

(total 

phosphorus)

TSI 

(Secchi depth)

2000 52 58 59

2001 56 67 43

2002 56 65 48

Mean (2000–02) 55 63 50
Surface-Water-Quality Conditions 43

Table 16. Hydraulic residence-time analysis for Lake Olathe near dam (site 2), northeast Kansas, 2001–02.

[--, not applicable]

Year and month

Mean monthly 

reservoir volume 

(acre-feet)

Mean monthly 

outflow

(acre-feet per day)

Mean annual 

reservoir volume

(acre-feet)

Mean annual 

outflow

(acre-feet per day)

Mean annual 

hydraulic 

residence time

(days)

Mean annual 

hydraulic 

residence time

(years)

2001

January 2,826 8.0

February 2,829 128 -- -- -- --

March 2,902 29 -- -- -- --

April 2,950 22 -- -- -- --

May 2,986 11 -- -- -- --

June 2,982 77 -- -- -- --

July 2,923 5.0 -- -- -- --

August 2,813 1.0 -- -- -- --

September 2,964 13 -- -- -- --

October 2,968 10 -- -- -- --

November 2,934 .16 -- -- -- --

December 2,933 .36 2,918 25 117 0.32

2002

January 2,928 3.0 -- -- -- --

February 2,970 12 -- -- -- --

March 2,968 3.0 -- -- -- --

April 2,970 39 -- -- -- --

May 2,988 85 -- -- -- --

June 2,948 6.0 -- -- -- --

July 2,662 0 -- -- -- --

August 2,273 0 -- -- -- --

September 1,958 0 -- -- -- --

October 1,888 0 -- -- -- --

November 2,005 0 -- -- -- --

December 1,998 0 2,546 12 212 .58

Mean hydraulic residence time for 2001–02 0.45

Bacteria Densities, Loads, and Yields in Cedar Creek 

and Lake Olathe

Fecal coliform bacteria have long been used as an indicator 

organism for the sanitary quality of water for drinking or contact recreation. The presence of fecal coliform bacteria in water 

indicates the possible presence of pathogens, such as entero-, 

rota-, and reoviruses, found in feces of warmblooded animals. 

These bacteria and pathogens may cause human diseases ranging from mild diarrhea to respiratory disease, septicemia, meningitis, and polio (Dufour, 1977; Pepper and others, 1996). The 

fecal coliform bacteria group can include any combination of 

E. coli and species of the Klebsiella, Enterobacter, and 

Citrobacter genera (Gleeson and Gray, 1997). Klebsiella are 

commonly associated with industrial waste (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1986). Fecal coliform bacteria are found 

in the feces of all warmblooded animals, but some members of 

the group also can be found in soil and water (Holt and 

others, 1993). 

In 1986, USEPA recommended that States use E. coli or 

enterococci bacteria rather than fecal coliform as indicators of 

fecal contamination for recreational water. E. coli is the only 

member of the fecal group that is exclusively fecal in origin and, 

therefore, is definitive evidence of fecal contamination from 

warmblooded animals. Measuring only E. coli or enterococci 

rather than the entire fecal coliform group has been shown to 

give a better indication of possible contamination by organisms 
44 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

associated with swimming-related illnesses (Cabelli, 1977; 

Dufour and Cabelli, 1984). In 2002, USEPA issued revised 

guidelines with recommended numeric criteria on the basis of 

risk exposure (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2002). 

Bacteria densities are highly variable and are dependent on 

the source of the bacteria and the hydrologic and environmental 

conditions. Possible sources of fecal coliform bacteria contamination include municipal wastewater discharges, seepage from 

domestic septic systems, combined sewer overflows, runoff or 

seepage from livestock-producing areas, and wildlife populations. Point sources such as wastewater-treatment facilities and 

combined sewer overflows often discharge fecal coliform bacteria directly into streams. Fecal coliform bacteria in undisturbed feces of warmblooded animals deposited on the land 

surface can survive for a year or more (Bohn and Buckhouse, 

1985). Rainfall on these surfaces transport fecal coliform bacteria into or along the surface of the soil and eventually into surface water and sometimes ground water. Runoff from grazed 

areas can have 5 to 10 times the amount of fecal coliform bacteria than runoff from ungrazed areas, but both sources of runoff 

can exceed recommended water-quality criteria (Doran and 

Linn, 1979). 

KDHE lists fecal coliform criteria for Kansas streams designated for either primary contact (full-body) or secondary contact (noncontact) recreational use (Kansas Department of 

Health and Environment, 2001). During primary contact recreation, the body is immersed in surface water to the extent that 

some inadvertent ingestion of water is probable. This use 

includes boating, swimming, skin diving, water skiing, and 

wind surfing. During secondary contact recreation, ingestion of 

water is not probable. This use includes wading, fishing, trapping, and hunting (Kansas Department of Health and Environment, 2001). Primary contact criteria for fecal coliform are a 

geometric mean of 200 col/100 mL from April 1 through 

October 31and a single-sample criterion of 2,000 col/100 mL 

from November 1 through March 31. 

In December 2003, KDHE approved E. coli to evaluate the 

sanitary quality of streams. Primary contact criteria for E. coli

from May to October are 160, 262, and 427 col/100 mL water 

for class A, B, and C waters, respectively (Kansas Department 

of Health and Environment, 2003). From November to March 

primary contact criteria for E. coli are 2,358, 2,358, and 

3,843 col/100 mL water for class A, B, and C waters, respectively. Class A waters are designated for full-body contact. 

Class B and C waters have less likelihood of full-body contact 

or are infrequently used. Sanitary quality is assessed by comparing the geometric mean of five samples collected over 30 days 

to the criteria (Kansas Department of Health and Environment, 

2003). Cedar Creek is designated class C, and Lake Olathe is 

designated class B. 

Section 303(d) of the Federal Clean Water Act of 1972 

requires States to identify all water bodies where State waterquality criteria are not being met. In Kansas, 64 percent of the 

59,423 stream miles monitored by KDHE in 1998–99 fully supported all uses; about 83 percent fully or partially supported all 

uses (Kansas Department of Health and Environment, 2000). In 

1998, fecal coliform bacteria was listed as an impairment for 

611 of the 774 water-quality-limited stream segments (or 

79 percent) listed on the 303 (d) list for Kansas (Kansas Department of Health and Environment, 2000). 

Comparison of Bacteria Densities

Concentrations of fecal coliform bacteria in Cedar Creek 

exceeded 2,000 col/100 mL water for four of the seven samples 

collected during storm periods in 2000 through 2002 (table 18 

and data on file at the USGS office in Lawrence, Kansas). 

Storm runoff from agricultural and residential areas transports 

sediment, chemicals, and bacteria to Cedar Creek, increasing 

the chemical and bacteria concentrations in Cedar Creek and 

Lake Olathe. Concentrations of fecal coliform bacteria in Cedar 

Creek ranged from 23 to 65,000 col/100 mL water during the 

seven storm periods. However, concentrations of fecal 

coliform bacteria exceeded 2,000 col/100 mL water in samples 

collected during low-flow conditions in Cedar Creek in July and 

October 2000. Abundant wildlife and residential septic systems 

in the area probably account for these elevated concentrations.

Concentrations of fecal coliform bacteria in Lake Olathe 

were less than criteria for recreational waters in Kansas 

(table 18). Concentrations of fecal coliform bacteria in water 

samples collected from Lake Olathe following periods of storm 

runoff were elevated, but concentrations were still significantly 

less than the secondary contact criterion of 2,000 col/100 mL 

water (Kansas Department of Health and Environment, 2001). 

Geometric-mean density sampling of five samples collected 

over 30 days was not done as part of this study to determine 

compliance with the primary recreational use criterion 

approved by KDHE (2003). However, swimming is not 

Table 17. Seasonal and total annual estimates of atrazine loads in 

Cedar Creek at Highway 56, northeast Kansas, 2001–02.

Atrazine (pounds)

Winter 2001 4

Winter 2002 7

Spring 2001 11

Spring 2002 10

Summer 2001 11

Summer 2002 1

Fall 2001 9

Fall 2002 6

Total 2001 35

Total 2002 24
Surface-Water-Quality Conditions 45

Table 18. Statistical summary describing bacteria concentrations in water from Cedar Creek at Highway 56 and Lake Olathe, northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02.

[<, less than; --, not applicable]

Bacteria Number of 

samples

Density, in colonies per 100 milliliter of water

Minimum Maximum Mean Median Standard 

deviation Water-quality criteria1

1

Water-quality criteria from Kansas Department of Health and Environment (2003).

Cedar Creek at Highway 56 (site 1, fig. 1)

Fecal coliform bacteria 17 23 65,000 5,921 680 15,635 --

Escherichia coli bacteria 18 23 67,000 7,199 649 16,325 May–Oct., 427; 

Nov.–Mar., 3,843

Enterococci bacteria 10 153 120,000 21,000 603 39,958 --

Lake Olathe near dam (site 2, fig. 1)

Fecal coliform bacteria 

epilimnion 16 <1 510 66 4 161 200, 2,0002

2

Water-quality criteria from Kansas Department of Health and Environment (2001).

hypolimnion 11 1 186 35 6 57 --

Escherichia coli bacteria 

epilimnion 15 <1 677 92 3 207 --

hypolimnion 9 <1 184 39 7 63 --

Enterococci bacteria 

epilimnion 8 <1 1,070 139 4 375 --

hypolimnion 3 1 22 8 2 12 --

Lake Olathe at upstream end (site 3, fig. 1)

Fecal coliform bacteria 6 1 520 134 24 221 200, 2,0002

Escherichia coli bacteria 5 13 249 87 60 93 --

Enterococci bacteria 1 33 33 33 33 -- --

allowed in Lake Olathe, so the primary contact recreation criterion that describes full-body contact with water may not apply.

Four of the seven samples collected from Cedar Creek for 

E. coli during storm runoff exceeded secondary contact criterion (table 18) (Kansas Department of Health and Environment, 

2003). Concentrations of E. coli during storm runoff ranged 

from 197 to 67,000 col/100 mL water and from 23 to 

13,000 col/100 mL during periods of low flow (data on file at 

the USGS office in Lawerence, Kansas). However, as stated 

previously, current (2004) KDHE criteria are based on a geometric mean, not single samples. The concentration of E. coli

increased during the low-flow sampling periods of July and 

October 2000 similar to the increased concentration of fecal 

coliform during the same period. However, the large E. coli

concentrations indicate that the source of contamination was 

fecal material from warmblooded animals, either from animals 

or humans in the watershed. 

Concentrations of enterococci in Cedar Creek were larger 

than E. coli and ranged from 153 to 120,000 col/100 mL water 

(table 18). Currently, there is no KDHE criterion for enterococci, but USEPA has provided guidance documents as assistance to the States for establishing State criterion (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2002). Water samples were not 

analyzed for enterococci until 2001; therefore, large fecal 

coliform and E. coli concentrations identified in July and October 2000 samples cannot be compared to enterococci. Concentrations of enterococci ranged from 677 to 120,000 col/100 mL 

water during storm runoff and from 153 to 530 col/100 mL 

water during periods of low flow. In Lake Olathe, the 

concentration range of enterococci was from less than 1 to 

1,067 col/100 mL water (table 18). The elevated concentration 

of enterococci from the sample collected on April 23, 2002, 

(1,070 col/100 mL) is similar to the increases observed in 

E. coli and fecal coliform and probably is in response to a storm 

that occurred in the watershed on April 21, 2002. Runoff from 

the storm likely would have transported sediment, chemicals, 

and bacteria from the watershed into the lake where the bacteria 

were detected in the lake 2 days after the storm. 

Estimated Bacteria Loads and Yields

Bacteria loads were computed for Cedar Creek during the 

winter, spring, summer, and fall of 2001 and 2002. Hourly 

regression-estimated fecal coliform, E. coli, and enterococci 
46 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

Table 19. Seasonal and annual estimates of bacteria loads and yields from Cedar Creek at Highway 56, northeast Kansas, 

2001–02.

[Estimates are rounded to two significant figures. (col/acre), colonies per acre]

Fecal coliform 

bacteria loads, 

in billion colonies

E. coli bacteria 

loads, 

in billion colonies

Enterococci 

bacteria loads, 

in billion colonies

Fecal coliform 

bacteria yield, 

in billion 

(col/acre)

E. coli bacteria yield, 

in billion (col/acre)

Enterococci 

bacteria yield, 

in billion 

(col/acre)

Winter 2001 1,100,000 140,000 4,400,000 160 21 660

Winter 2002 42,000 9,000 140,000 6 1 21

Spring 2001 6,400,000 2,900,000 29,000,000 960 430 4,400

Spring 2002 2,400,000 1,400,000 10,000,000 350 210 1,600

Summer 2001 2,400,000 840,000 11,000,000 370 130 1,600

Summer 2002 940 560 3,600 0 0 1

Fall 2001 110,000 38,000 450,000 17 6 68

Fall 2002 12,000 5,300 41,000 2 1 6

Total 2001 10,000,000 3,900,000 45,000,000 1,500 590 6,700

Total 2002 2,500,000 1,400,000 10,000,000 360 210 1,600

densities were multiplied by streamflow, conversion factors, 

and the bias-correction factors to estimate seasonal and total 

annual loads and yields in Cedar Creek with continuous turbidity measurements (tables 5 and 19). Bacteria yields were determined by dividing bacteria loads by the contributing-drainage 

area for Lake Olathe in 2001 and 2002. 

Continuous turbidity measurements were used to estimate 

bacteria loads because of the strong correlation between turbidity and bacteria. However, the computation of bacteria loads 

and yields on the basis of turbidity was limited by the maximum 

turbidity values that could be measured by the sensor. The sensors used in this study were capable of measuring maximum turbidity between 0 and 1,000 NTU, depending on the sensor. 

During periods when the actual turbidity was greater than the 

measured turbidity, the sensor was capable of measuring only 

the maximum reading. When this occurred, loads were computed on the basis of the maximum sensor reading. There were 

only 13 affected hourly turbidity sensor readings in 2001, and 

8 affected readings in 2002 of a possible 8,760 values per year. 

Although the regression-estimated loads may be conservative 

by an unknown amount, most likely the loads were minimally 

affected by maximum turbidity readings. Previous studies indicate that bacteria loads during individual days can underestimate the actual load by as much as 20 times (Rasmussen and 

Ziegler, 2003, p. 70). 

An additional limitation in the computation of loads and 

yields is bacterial loss rate. Bacterial loss rate is the bacteria 

mortality rate, loss due to solar radiation, and loss due to bacterial settling (Rasmussen and Ziegler, 2003, p. 70). The loss rate 

is dependent upon environmental, water-quality, and streamflow conditions, and is unknown for this study. 

Regression-estimated total annual bacteria loads were 

about three to four times larger in 2001 than in 2002 in Cedar 

Creek (table 19). The differences probably are due to the different hydrologic conditions for the 2 years. Precipitation was 

greater in 2001 than in 2002, likely contributing more overland 

runoff, and therefore, more nonpoint-source bacteria to Cedar 

Creek. Seasonal differences indicated that the largest bacteria 

loads occurred in the spring (April through June) of each year 

and represented between 65 and 93 percent, respectively, of the 

total bacteria load delivered to Lake Olathe in 2001 and 2002 

(table 19). The effect of a dry year was evident in 2002, when 

93 percent of the total bacteria load was delivered to Lake 

Olathe during the spring compared to 65 percent in 2001.

Phytoplankton Characteristics of Lake Olathe

Phytoplankton are small, free-floating algae that generally 

are not visible to the naked eye, but when concentrated they are 

responsible for the characteristic green color and reduced transparency of water in many lakes (Horne and Goldman, 1994, 

p. 226). Phytoplankton usually grow in pulses or blooms in 

temperate climates. The first blooms occur in the spring, notably diatoms, in response to sunlight, and end in the fall as sunlight decreases. In warmer temperate areas, algal growth can be 

continuous when sufficient nutrients are available. In temperate 

lakes and reservoirs, algal blooms later in the summer often 

consist of cyanobacteria or, less often, green algae. In addition, 

algae have evolved various methods to overcome limitations of 

nutrients and grazing by larger organisms. These methods 

include chemically binding nutrients, notably phosphorus, 
Surface-Water-Quality Conditions 47

within algal cells to be released and used when needed, production of enzymes to enhance rates of nutrient uptake during periods of small nutrient concentrations, and changes in cell density 

that allow algae to move vertically into more favorable light or 

nutrient areas of the water column (Horne and Goldman, 1994, 

p. 226). Some phytoplankton taxa also can cause taste-andodor problems in drinking-water supplies and in some instances 

can cause toxicity (Mallevialle and Suffet, 1987; Horne and 

Goldman, 1994, p. 256).

Community Composition

Major genera and species of phytoplankton, as well as 

chlorophyll a, b, and total biovolume and biomass, were identified in samples from Cedar Creek and Lake Olathe (table 20, 

tables 27–28, in “Supplemental Information” section of this 

report). There were sampling periods when as many as seven 

phytoplankton divisions were identified along with their corresponding species, but typically three divisions represented 

90 percent or more of all the genera—Bacillariophyta (diatoms), Chlorophyta (green algae), and cyanobacteria (bluegreen algae). 

A primary characteristic of diatoms are silicified cell 

walls. The cell walls (frustules) of diatoms consist of two lidlike valves, one of which fits inside the other. The cell wall 

structures are complex and are used as taxonomic characteristics (Wetzel, 2001, p. 336). In temperate climates, diatoms 

commonly are the predominant algal species during spring. 

Increasing sunlight, temperature, water circulation, and turbulence help suspend and maintain the diatom colonies in the optimal light intensities, thus enhancing their growth. Blooms of 

several species of diatoms have been associated with taste-andodor problems in drinking-water supplies (Wetzel, 2001).

Chlorophyta, or green algae, are a very large and diverse 

group of algae that are distributed primarily in freshwater (Wetzel, 2001). They contain both chlorophyll a and b and may have 

a tail (flagellum) that provides mobility for one phase of their 

life cycle (Horne and Goldman, 1994). Although a food source 

for a large variety of organisms, the presence of Chlorophyta 

blooms in lakes may be indicative of eutrophic conditions and 

also may impair fisheries.

Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) have been some of the 

most intensely studied of all planktonic groups (Wetzel, 2001). 

They have characteristics of both bacteria and algae; like other 

bacteria they lack a nuclear membrane, but they possess chlorophyll-a, which is common to algae and higher plants. In particular, some species of cyanobacteria have the unique ability to 

fix elemental nitrogen (N2, atmospheric nitrogen), which provides a metabolic advantage over other algae during periods of 

low dissolved oxygen, low light, and lack of other resources. 

An additional advantage found in cyanobacteria but not other 

algae is that some species contain gas vacuoles that regulate 

buoyancy, allowing the cyanobacteria to maneuver in the water 

column as they seek the ideal sunlight and nutrient conditions 

optimal for growth. Cyanobacteria can cause unsightly algal 

blooms on eutrophic lakes that shade out other algae and higher 

organisms that benefit the lake fishery. In addition, some 

cyanobacteria species are capable of manufacturing toxins and 

unpleasant tasting compounds, such as geosmin and MIB. 

Two additional divisions, Cryptophyta and Euglenophyta, 

also were identified in Lake Olathe. Cryptophyta are flagellated 

and typically are present in small numbers for most of the year 

but increase intermittently. Increases in their abundance often 

follow the demise of previous dominant algal blooms (Wetzel, 

2001). Euglenophyta can possess as many as three flagella and 

under the right conditions can grow rapidly. Their development 

is closely related to the abundance of ammonia and dissolved 

organic matter, and they are found most often in shallow water 

rich in organic matter, such as organically polluted lakes 

(Wetzel, 2001, p. 338).

Species Diversity

Species diversity is a property unique to the community 

level of biological organization and is an expression of community structure (Brower and others, 1998, p. 177). Species diversity can affect the survival of other organisms that consume 

phytoplankton and the efficiency of transfer of primary production to larger organisms. A community that has many abundant 

species in approximately equal proportions is said to have high 

species diversity and indicates the presence of a highly complex 

biological community. There are many measures of species 

diversity, but two of the most common measures, the Simpson’s 

Diversity Index and the Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index, are 

discussed in this report. Diversity indices provide information 

about rarity and commonness of species in a community. 

Simpson’s Diversity Index (Ds) evaluates the number of 

species, the total number of individuals in each species (N), and 

the proportion of the total number of individuals that occurs in 

each species (Simpson, 1949). The equation developed by Simpson shows that a community with high diversity will have species with low dominance, and a community with low diversity 

will have species with high dominance (Brower and others, 

1998, p. 179):

Ds = 1 – (Σni(ni – 1))/N(N – 1), (19)

where 

Ds is Simpson’s Diversity Index, dimensionless;

ni is number of species; and

N is the total number of individuals in each species.

The index ranges from 0 (low diversity) to almost 1 (high diversity), and a diverse phytoplankton community should have a 

high Simpson’s Diversity Index. In the Lake Olathe study, phytoplankton community structure was considered to be diverse if 

Ds was greater than or equal to 0.6.

The Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index (H’) is used as a 

measure of the number of taxa and the evenness of the taxa
Table 20. Statistical summary describing phytoplankton-related concentrations in water from Cedar Creek at Highway 56 and Lake Olathe, n2000–02.[HPLC, high-performance liquid chromatography; μg/L, micrograms per liter; mg/L, milligrams per liter; col/mL, colonies per milliliter of water; ng/L, nanograms p--, not applicable]

Phytoplankton-related concentrations

(unit of measurement)

Number of 

samples

Concentration

Minimum Maximum Mean Median 

Cedar Creek at Highway 56 (site 1, fig. 1)

Chlorophyll-a, HPLC (μg/L) 10 1 29 14 12 Chlorophyll-b, HPLC (μg/L) 10 0 8 3 1 Chlorophyll-a, fluorescence (μg/L) 14 2 58 19 15 Phytoplankton biomass, ash weight (mg/L) 10 526 5,500 2,890 2,700 Phytoplankton biomass, dry weight (mg/L) 10 536 5,600 2,900 2,800 Ash-free dry mass (mg/L) 10 10 128 54 48 Microcystin (μg/L) -- -- -- -- -- Actinomycetes (col/mL) 1 2,300 2,300 2,300 2,300 Geosmin (ng/L) 7 <5 20 6.1 <5 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) (ng/L) 7 <5 11 <5 <5 

Lake Olathe near dam (site 2, fig. 1)

Chlorophyll-a, HPLC (μg/L)

epilimnion 15 .6 30.8 14.8 16.8 hypolimnion 5 .1 15.6 3.7 1.1 

Chlorophyll-b, HPLC (μg/L)

epilimnion 15 .1 8.7 1.3 .5 hypolimnion 5 .1 1.3 .3 .1 

Chlorophyll-a, fluorescence (μg/L)

epilimnion 20 3.8 31.1 12.9 10.9 hypolimnion 9 4.0 11.6 7.0 6.2 

Phytoplankton biomass, ash weight (mg/L)

epilimnion 14 660 5,200 2,300 2,500 hypolimnion 5 670 2,700 2,200 2,600 

Phytoplankton biomass, dry weight (mg/L)

epilimnion 14 670 5,300 2,400 2,600 hypolimnion 5 690 2,700 2,300 2,600 
Lake Olathe near dam (site 2, fig. 1)—Continued

Ash-free dray mass (mg/L)

epilimnion 14 3 92 35 35 hypolimnion 5 15 54 36 30 

Microcystin (mg/L)

epilimnion 3 <.1 .28 .19 .26 hypolimnion 2 .1 .17 .14 .14 

Actinomycetes (col/mL)

epilimnion 6 4 64 18 10 hypolimnion 2 43 600 321 321 

Geosmin (ng/L)

epilimnion 13 <5 12 <5 <5 hypolimnion 6 <5 65 17.5 6.1 

2-methylisoborneol (MIB) (ng/L)

epilimnion 13 <5 <5 <5 <5 hypolimnion 6 <5 6 <5 <5 

Lake Olathe at upstream end (site 3, fig. 1)

Chlorophyll-a, HPLC (μg/L) 5 1.7 25.2 11.7 9.0 Chlorophyll-b, HPLC (μg/L) 5 <.1 2.9 1.6 1.6 Chlorophyll-a, fluorescence (μg/L) 5 7.8 29.5 16.0 12.4 Phytoplankton biomass, ash weight (mg/L) 5 670 20,000 5,500 2,600 Phytoplankton biomass, dry weight (mg/L) 5 680 21,000 5,600 2,700 Ash-free dry mass (mg/L) 5 16 58 35 32 Microcystin (μg/L) 1 .32 .32 .32 .32 Actinomycetes (col/mL) 1 21 21 21 21 Geosmin (ng/L) 5 <5 8.1 <5 <5 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) (ng/L) 5 <5 <5 <5 <5 

Table 20. Statistical summary describing phytoplankton-related concentrations in water from Cedar Creek at Highway 56 and Lake Olathe, n2000–02. [HPLC, high-performance liquid chromatography; μg/L, micrograms per liter; mg/L, milligrams per liter; col/mL, colonies per milliliter of water; ng/L, nanograms p

--, not applicable] 

Phytoplankton-related concentrations

(unit of measurement)

Number of 

samples

Concentration

Minimum Maximum Mean Median 

—Continued
50 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

abundance (Brower and others, 1998, p. 180). Values can range 

from 0, where all individuals are the same taxon, to a maximum 

value dependent upon the number of species present. Maximum values of the Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index, calculated 

on the logarithmic base-10 form of the following equation for 

samples containing 10, 25, and 50 species, would be 1.0, 1.4, 

and 1.7, respectively. A diverse phytoplankton community 

should have a high Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index, and values 

for the Lake Olathe study of 0.6 or greater were considered 

diverse. The Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index equation is:

H’ = -Σpi log pi, (20)

where

H’ is Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index, dimensionless; 

and

pi is ni/N (defined in equation 19).

The Simpson’s Diversity Index (Ds) and the ShannonWiener Diversity Index (H’) were evaluated for phytoplankton 

communities in both Cedar Creek and Lake Olathe (table 21). 

Values of Ds in Cedar Creek during 2000 to 2002 ranged from 

0.675 to 0.890, indicating good species diversity. Bacillariophyta were the most diverse division in Cedar Creek during the 

study period and the most dominant in almost every sample collected, although there were periods during 2000 when many 

species of Euglenophyta were present (table 27, in “Supplemental Information” section of this report).

Bacillariophyta species were diverse in spring and summer 

2002, either because of environmental conditions or the presence of excess nutrients and silica. Euglenophyta species were 

particularly diverse in 2000 and 2001, indicative of organically 

enriched conditions in Lake Olathe during that time. The mean 

and median Ds values for 2000–02 were greater than 0.6 at 

Cedar Creek and Lake Olathe, suggesting phytoplankton were 

absent of any extreme values (table 21). The mean and median 

Ds values for Cedar Creek were similar (0.807 and 0.850, 

respectively), indicating a relatively diverse phytoplankton 

community structure within Cedar Creek during the study 

period. The mean and median Ds values for Lake Olathe also 

were similar during the study period (0.706 and 0.772, respectively). However, diversity was greater in Cedar Creek than in 

Lake Olathe.

Values of the log-10 based Shannon-Wiener Diversity 

Index (H’) were similar to values of Ds and ranged from 

0.452 to 1.205. Values of H’ at Cedar Creek for the period 2000 

through 2002 showed good species diversity, and values generally were larger than H’ values in Lake Olathe (table 21). Species diversity in Lake Olathe during the spring and summer 

2002 was low relative to 2000 and 2001, as indicated by H’ values less than 0.6 (table 21). During June through September 

2002, one species of either Bacillariophyta or Chlorophyta represented more than 50 percent of the total biovolume in the lake 

(table 27, in “Supplemental Information” section of this report). 

The dominance by a few species in Lake Olathe during these 

months was reflected in the low H’ values (less than 0.6) that 

described phytoplankton species diversity and community

Table 21. Simpson’s and Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index values 

for Cedar Creek at Highway 56 and epilimnion of Lake Olathe near 

dam (site 2), northeast Kansas, 2000–02.

Location

Date

(month/day/

year)

Simpson’s 

Diversity Index 

(Ds) 

(dimensionless)

Shannon-Wiener 

Diversity Index 

(H') (log10 based, 

dimensionless)

Cedar Creek 6/19/2000 0.890 1.145

6/20/2000 .772 .785

7/19/2000 .888 1.205

10/24/2000 .675 .569

3/21/2001 .763 .764

4/19/2001 .679 .738

5/16/2001 .847 .940

6/3/2001 .854 .945

6/26/2001 .860 .973

3/16/2002 .728 .787

4/21/2002 .862 1.051

5/12/2002 .866 1.010

Mean .807 .909

Median .850 .942

Maximum .890 1.205

Minimum .675 .569

Lake Olathe 6/20/2000 .772 .785

6/21/2000 .792 .898

10/24/2000 .772 .734

12/7/2000 .647 .568

3/20/2001 .542 .475

4/18/2001 .705 .611

5/17/2001 .803 .827

6/27/2001 .773 .790

8/14/2001 .775 .835

10/23/2001 .828 .979

2/21/2002 .669 .668

4/23/2002 .886 1.064

6/4/2002 .665 .725

6/18/2002 .509 .452

7/23/2002 .483 .467

9/6/2002 .573 .510

10/30/2002 .806 .902

Mean .706 .723

Median .772 .734

Maximum .886 1.064

Minimum .483 .452
Surface-Water-Quality Conditions 51

structure in Lake Olathe. The low H’ values may be a reflection 

of the dry period in the Lake Olathe watershed from June 

through September 2002 when lake levels were several feet 

below the spillway elevation. Long periods of standing water 

may have contributed to low species diversity and benefited 

only select species. 

Relation to Environmental Factors

Total biovolume did not vary much among the samples, 

with the exception of one June 2000 sample, and was within the 

same order of magnitude in most samples (fig. 12). This was 

somewhat surprising because algal abundance (biovolume or 

chlorophyll-a) varies seasonally in most lakes (Horne and 

Goldman, 1994, p. 226). Common taxa in the lake included 

Cyclotella spp., Chlamydomonas spp, Trachelomonas spp., and 

Cryptomonas spp. (table 28 in “Supplemental Information” section of this report). All four taxa occurred in 20 or more of the 

31 samples. The Cyclotella species are diatoms found commonly in eutrophic rivers and lakes (Lowe, 1974). The last 

three taxa were unicellular, motile algal flagellates from the 

divisions Chlorophyta (green algae), Euglenophyta, and Cryptophyta, respectively. The algal flagellates occur over a broad 

range of water-quality conditions; however, these taxa are considered to be in the mesotrophic-to-eutrophic range (Prescott, 

1962). Trachelomonas species often indicate dissolved iron in 

the water from either natural or human-related sources.

Phytoplankton taxa were identified in samples from both 

Cedar Creek and Lake Olathe. There were instances when as 

many as seven algal divisions were identified, but typically 

Bacillariophyta, Chlorophyta, and cyanobacteria represented 

90 percent or more of all taxa (fig. 13). Some of the taxa identified in Lake Olathe, such as Asterionella formosa (Bacillariophyta), Oscillatoria spp. (cyanobacteria), and Lyngbya limnetica (cyanobacteria) are known producers of taste-and-odor 

compounds that may be responsible for problems associated 

with the Lake Olathe drinking-water supply.

The results of correspondence analysis indicated that samples collected in June 2000 were very different from those collected in June 2001 and 2002. The samples collected in 2000 

were dominated by Anabaena and Pseudoanabaena, both of 

which are eutrophic, nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria. Nitrogen 

fixers generally are found in water with low dissolved nitrogen 

or low dissolved N:P ratios, probably because these taxa can fix 

atmospheric nitrogen and thus compete well where nitrogen is 

in limited supply. In contrast, June samples collected during 

2001–02 were dominated by centric diatoms and the algal 

flagellates previously discussed (notably Chlamydomonas) 

(table 28 in “Supplemental Information” section of this report). 

The diatom species of Cyclotella and Melosira, notably 

M. granulata and M. islandica, are found commonly in turbid 

(sediment-laden) rivers (Lowe, 1974). A large algal bloom during the spring of 2000 may have depleted available dissolved 

nitrogen (and possibly silica). By June 2000 the successful 

algal competitors were those that could manufacture their own 

nitrogen (nitrogen fixers) and required little silica. There were 

taste-and-odor producing species in both groups; taxa identified 

in 2000 contained species associated with "grassy" or "musty" 

odors, such as Melosira, Synedra, and Anabaena, whereas the 

taxa identified in 2001 and 2002 contained species of diatoms 

June

July

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

Dec.

Jan.

Feb.

Mar.

Apr.

Nov.

May

June

July

Aug.

Sept.

June

July

Aug.

S

Oc

ept.

t.

Dec.

Jan.

Feb.

Mar.

Apr.

Nov.

May

2000 2001 2002

Total biovolume, in cubic micrometers per milliliter

10,000

100,000

1,000,000

10,000,000

100,000,000

Figure 12. Total biovolume in epilimnion of Lake Olathe near dam (site 2), 2000–02.
52 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

that can cause "fishy" odors, such as Asterionella, Cyclotella, 

and Chlamydomonas (Palmer, 1977).

Correspondence analysis of the August 2001 samples also 

identified a co-dominance of diatoms (Cyclotella and Melosira 

spp.) and nitrogen fixers (Anabaena spp.). It may be that dissolved nitrogen was limiting during this period, but silica was 

not. Planktonic Melosira taxa generally are found in turbid 

lakes and rivers (Weber, 1971; Lowe, 1974); thus, there may 

have been more wash-in of sediment during the months prior to 

the time these samples were collected. Besides the occurrence 

of these diatoms, this group differed from the previous 

(June 2000) group by the reduced numbers of Pseudoanabaena. 

Phytoplankton samples collected during March–May 2001 

were dominated by diatoms and algal flagellates, starting with 

Cyclotella spp. in March and then dominated by Melosira spp. 

later in the spring. Spring dominance by diatoms and (or) algal 

flagellates (particularly Chlorophyta and Cryptomonas algae) 

often is found in temperate lakes and reservoirs (Wetzel, 2001, 

p. 361). The abundance of the diatom Asterionella formosa, 

notably during May 2001 (7–17 percent), also could be associated with taste-and-odor complaints (Palmer, 1977).

Phytoplankton communities in October (2000–01) were 

dominated by the flagellates, notably Trachelomonas spp., 

Chlamydomonas spp., and Cryptomonas spp. Diatoms were 

represented primarily by Fragilaria species, and most of the 

diatoms and cyanobacteria observed in August were gone by 

October, with the exception of Melosira granulata. 

Samples collected during July and September 2002 were 

very different than other years (table 28 in “Supplemental Information” section of this report). In particular, two species of filamentous cyanobacteria, Oscillatoria spp. and Lyngbya limnetica, were dominant in the July hypolimnion sample, and 

although they are not nitrogen fixers, they are capable of producing taste and odors ("musty odor") (Palmer, 1977). Lakebottom samples (hypolimnion) collected during September 

2002 consisted of 71 percent Euglena spp., along with Synedra 

spp. that were common in both July and September 2002. A 

predominance of Euglena species often is associated with 

organically enriched water (Wetzel, 2001, p. 338). The 

71-percent dominance of Euglena spp. in the September lakebottom sample is consistent with low-light requirements and 

high levels of carbon (Wetzel, 2001, p. 337–338), possibly from 

dead algae that sank following a bloom. 

 

0 0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

20

40

60

80

100

Relative percentage abundance

Geosmin concentration, in nanograms per liter

June

July

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

Dec.

Jan.

Feb.

Mar.

Apr.

Nov.

May

June

July

Aug.

Sept.

June

July

Aug.

S

Oc

ept.

t.

Oct.

Dec.

Jan.

Feb.

Mar.

Apr.

Nov.

May

2000 2001 2002

EXPLANATION

Cryptophyta

Euglenophyta

Geosmin

Bacillariophyta

Chlorophyta

Cyanobacteria

Figure 13. Relative percentage abundance of phytoplankton divisions and geosmin concentrations in Lake Olathe near dam (site 2), 

2000–02.
Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in Lake Olathe 53

Occurrence and Implications of Microcystis

Microcystis is a cyanobacterial genus that includes toxic 

and nontoxic species (Chorus and Bartram, 1999, p. 49). Toxic 

species can synthesize microcystin, a hepatotoxin that can be of 

great concern to humans and wildlife if it occurs in drinkingwater reservoirs or recreational areas (Chorus and Bartram, 

1999, p. 42). Globally, the most frequently identified cyanobacterial toxins in fresh and brackish water have been found in 

blooms of Microcystis and Nodularia (Chorus and Bartram, 

1999).

In temperate regions of the United States, the occurrence 

of cyanobacteria and the potential presence of microcystin are 

most common during late summer and early autumn and may 

last 2 to 4 months. Blooms of Microcystis typically are found 

in lakes with an average summer chlorophyll-a concentration of 

20 to 50 μg/L and a Secchi depth of 3 to 6 ft (Chorus and 

Bartram, 1999).

Microcystins are extremely stable and chemically resistant 

to breakdown (Chorus and Bartram, 1999, p. 43). They appear 

to be weakly retained on suspended solids in rivers and reservoirs, and usually no more than 20 percent of the microcystin 

concentration is adsorbed. Chemical breakdown of microcystin 

can take 10 to 12 weeks for 90-percent breakdown, but breakdown is enhanced in the presence of humic substances and other 

pigments in the water (Chorus and Bartram, 1999). 

There are many strains of microcystin and more than one 

toxic-producing species of Microcystis (Chorus and Bartram, 

1999, p. 46–48). Microcystin-LR, a toxic algal compound, was 

evaluated in this study not necessarily because it is the most 

common microcystin found in nature but because it was one of 

the first to have a chemical standard for analysis established and 

available commercially. The World Health Organization 

(WHO) has established drinking-water quality guidelines for 

microcystin-LR not to exceed 1.0 μg/L (Chorus and Bartram, 

1999). Concentrations of microcystin-LR in Lake Olathe during 2002 ranged from less than 0.1 to 0.41 μg/L and, therefore, 

do not appear to pose any significant health risk on the basis of 

the WHO guidelines (fig. 14). It is interesting that the smallest 

concentrations of microcystin-LR occurred in September and 

October 2002 (0.24 and less than 0.1 μg/L, respectively) when 

actinomycetes and geosmin concentrations were large. It is 

possible that during this period either biological competition 

favored actinomycetes, a filamentous bacteria (to be discussed 

in “Relation to Actinomycetes” section of this report), rather 

than cyanobacteria or that environmental conditions were more 

favorable for actinomycetes.

Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in Lake Olathe

Taste-and-odor problems are common in eutrophic surface 

water throughout the world. Sources range from inorganic 

compounds such as iron, manganese, and sulfides to organic 

compounds that include humic substances, hydrophilic acids, 

carboxylic acids, and hydrocarbons (Thurman, 1985). Many of 

100

10

1.0

0.10

0.01

April May June July

2002

August September October

Less than 5.0 ng/L

Less than 0.1 μg/L

Less than 0.1 μg/L

Geosmin concentration, in nanograms per liter (ng/L)

Actinomycetes concentration, in colonies per milliliter of water (col/mL)Microcystin-LR concentration, in micrograms per liter (μg/L)

Geosmin

Actinomycetes

Microcystin-LR

World Health Organization (1998)

guideline for microcystin-LR 

(1.0 μg/L )

Figure 14. Concentrations of geosmin, actinomycetes, and microcystin in Lake Olathe near dam (site 2), 

April–October 2002.
54 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

the taste-and-odor-causing organic compounds in natural surface water can be traced to the decay of plant materials and the 

storage products of living microbiota. In fact, water-utility personnel in the United States surveyed in the 1950s listed algae 

(82 percent) and decaying vegetation (67 percent) as the 

two major causes of taste and odors in their systems 

(Sigworth, 1957). 

Since the 1950s many studies have been done in lakes and 

reservoirs to determine the compounds causing taste-and-odor 

problems, the conditions favorable to growth of organisms 

associated with taste-and-odor problems, and measures to 

remediate taste-and-odor problems (Mallevialle and Suffet, 

1987). Results of these studies indicated that many algal 

species are capable of producing tastes and odors, including 

various Bacillariophyta, Chlorophyta, Cryptophyta, and actinomycetes. However, some of the most severe taste-and-odor 

problems were associated with blooms of cyanobacteria. Further studies showed that two chemical compounds found within 

particular species of cyanobacteria, geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol (MIB), were responsible for the taste-and-odor problems (Gerber, 1969; Tabachek and Yurkowski, 1976). Smith 

and deNoyelles (2001) provide a good summary of the history 

and background of taste-and-odor compounds in surface water.

Taste-and-odor problems in Kansas reservoirs have been 

found to be directly linked to the reservoirs’ trophic state (Smith 

and deNoyelles, 2001). In a study of six eastern Kansas reservoirs, Arruda and Fromm (1989) determined that odor problems 

in these reservoirs were associated with a variety of algal species including Anabaena, a cyanobacterial species. Large concentrations of geosmin associated with cyanobacteria algal 

blooms have occurred in Clinton Lake (fig. 1) in northeast Kansas and have been related to nutrient and chlorophyll concentrations in the lake (Wang and others, 2000). Similarly, a study of 

Cheney Reservoir (fig. 1) in south-central Kansas showed a 

strong positive correlation between cyanobacteria biomass and 

peak geosmin concentrations (Smith and deNoyelles, 2001). 

Estimation of Taste-and-Odor Occurrences

Many species of phytoplankton are known to be associated 

with taste-and-odor problems in lakes. Species of four tasteand-odor associated phytoplankton were identified in Lake 

Olathe during different times of the year, and statistical models 

for these species were developed using least-squares regression 

analysis. The four species—Melosira granulata, Anabaena, 

Oscillatoria, and Cryptomonas—produce musty, violet smelling, musty, and grassy odors, respectively, in water (Palmer, 

1977). 

The water residence time of Lake Olathe was a significant 

independent variable in the statistical model developed for the 

diatom Melosira granulata (table 6):

MELGRA=(12.61cos2πD/365+0.17sin2πD/365) - 

0.21Residence+0.22Turb + 14.08, (21)

where

MELGRA is the diatom Melosira granulata, in relative 

percentage abundance; 

cos2πD/365 is a seasonality term, in days (D is Julian day 

of year);

sin2πD/365 is a seasonality term, in days (D is Julian day 

of year);

Residence is number of continuous days Lake Olathe elevation less than 937.5 ft prior to sampling, in 

days; and

Turb is the continuous turbidity measurement at 

time of sample collection, in nephelometric 

turbidity units.

Residence time was negatively correlated, and seasonality and 

turbidity were positively correlated with the relative biovolume 

of Melosira granulata, indicating that this diatom was more 

dominant during the spring when the residence time was short 

but turbidity was large, and that it may be responsible for some 

of the musty taste-and-odor problems that Lake Olathe has 

experienced. The coefficient of determination (R2) and p-value 

for the Melosira granulata model were 0.89 and less than 0.001 

(table 6), respectively, indicating a statistically significant relation was developed for determining the relative percentage 

abundance of Melosira granulata using these variables.

The ability of Anabaena, a genus of cyanobacteria, to regulate its buoyancy and move through the water column gives it 

distinct competitive advantages over other species of phytoplankton in finding optimal conditions of sunlight and nutrients during periods when lake turbidity is high. The statistical 

model for Anabaena indicated that turbidity was a positively 

correlated independent variable for Anabaena and, conversely, 

that specific conductance was a negatively correlated independent variable (table 6). 

ANABSPP=0.66Turb - 0.16SC - 58.99TKN+ 125.2, (22)

where

ANABSPP is the cyanobacteria species Anabaena, in relative percentage abundance;

Turb is the continuous turbidity measurement at 

time of sample collection, in nephelometric 

turbidity units;

SC is the continuous specific conductance measurement at time of sample collection, in 

microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees 

Celsius; and

TKN is total ammonia plus organic nitrogen as 

nitrogen, in milligrams per liter.

Typically, in the Lake Olathe watershed, specific conductance 

and turbidity are inversely related. Runoff from storms in the 

watershed increases discharge and turbidity and decreases specific conductance. When storm runoff from Cedar Creek 

reaches Lake Olathe, suspended sediment in water settles to the 

lake bottom causing shifts in the phytoplankton community 

structure. There also was a significant decrease in TKN associated with the increase in Anabaena, which suggests that TKN 
Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in Lake Olathe 55

may have been used as a primary food source. The coefficient 

of determination (R2) and p-value for the Anabaena model were 

0.64 and 0.014 (table 6), respectively, indicating a statistically 

significant relation for determining the biovolume of Anabaena

using these variables.

Another cyanobacteria species associated with musty 

odors in drinking water, Oscillatoria, was positively correlated 

with turbidity and TKN but inversely correlated with the residence time (table 6):

OSCISP=0.06Turb - 0.03Residence+2.97(TKN) - 2.54, (23)

where

OSCISP is the cyanobacteria species Oscillatoria, in relative percentage abundance;

Turb is the continuous turbidity measurement at time 

of sample collection, in nephelometric turbidity 

units;

Residence is number of continuous days Lake Olathe elevation less than 937.5 ft prior to sampling, in days; 

and

TKN is the total ammonia plus organic nitrogen as 

nitrogen, in milligrams per liter.

Increased turbidity in conjunction with reduced residence time 

in Lake Olathe suggests dominance of Oscillatoria during the 

spring when these conditions are present along with potential 

musty taste-and-odor problems in the drinking water. The coefficient of determination (R2) and p-value for the statistical 

model for Oscillatoria were 0.75 and 0.001 (table 6), respectively, indicating a statistically significant relation was developed in determining the relative percentage abundance of 

Oscillatoria using these variables. 

The statistical model developed for Cryptomonas included 

explanatory variables representing the time of year (seasonality), along with specific conductance and continuous 

fluorescence (table 6):

CRYPTSPP=(20.81sin2πD/365+22.87cos2πD/365) - 285.8 

log(SC) +30.1(FLUOR) + 758, (24)

where 

CRYPTSPP is the phytoplankton species Cryptomonas, in 

relative percentage abundance;

cos2πD/365 is a seasonality term, in days (D is Julian day 

of year);

sin2πD/365 is a seasonality term, in days (D is Julian day 

of year);

SC is the continuous specific conductance measurement at time of sample collection, in 

microsiemens per centimeter at 25 o

C; and

FLUOR is the continuous fluorescence at time of sample collection, in micrograms per liter.

As stated previously, increases in Cryptomonas frequently are 

seen immediately following the demise of dominant algal 

blooms (Wetzel, 2001). They are found in almost all lakes, 

regardless of trophic state, but usually are present in small 

numbers. The negative relation of Cryptomonas to specific conductance in Lake Olathe suggests that this species may prefer 

more turbid water conditions that occur during the spring each 

year. The positive relation of Cryptomonas to real-time continuous fluorescence also suggests that this species is more dominant during the spring and may be responsible for some of the 

taste-and-odor problems that occur in Lake Olathe during the 

spring. The coefficient of determination (R2) and p-value for the 

Cryptomonas model were 0.73 and 0.007, respectively, indicating a statistically significant relation for determining the biovolume of Cryptomonas using these variables.

Relation to Actinomycetes

Actinomycetes are filamentous bacteria that produce 

spores and are one of two life forms responsible for the degradation of cellulose in forests (Mallevialle and Suffet, 1987, 

p. 59). Actinomycetes have been recognized for years as producers of compounds responsible for muddy tastes in fish 

(Mallevialle and Suffet, 1987, p. 59). Other taste-and-odor 

compounds, notably geosmin and MIB, have been isolated from 

actinomycetes in addition to compounds that produce a variety 

of odors, including earthy, woody, musty, potato-bin-like, haylike, fishy, and grassy (Mallevialle and Suffet, 1987). Collection of water samples for the analysis of actinomycetes occurred 

only during 2002.

The extent to which actinomycetes cause taste-and-odor 

occurrences in water supplies is difficult to determine. They 

grow slowly, and the number of actinomycetes appearing on 

agar plates usually does not correlate with the odor intensities in 

the water supply because both actinomycetes filaments and 

spores produce colonies that proliferate best in sediment and 

around the shoreline (Mallevialle and Suffet, 1987). Therefore, 

although actinomycetes may be the source of earthy, musty 

taste-and-odor problems, the number of episodes caused by actinomycetes is likely to be small compared to taste-and-odor 

problems caused by algae.

Actinomycetes concentrations in Cedar Creek during a 

storm period on May 12, 2002, were two orders of magnitude 

larger than the largest actinomycetes concentrations detected 

from the epilimnion of Lake Olathe during 2002 (2,300 and 

64 col/mL, respectively) (table 20). Storm runoff in Cedar 

Creek typically transports large suspended-sediment loads; 

therefore, it is not surprising that large concentrations of actinomycetes would be detected because of the close association 

between sediment and actinomycetes. In addition, elevated 

concentrations of geosmin and MIB would be expected during 

storm runoff because actinomycetes are known producers of 

these compounds (Mallevialle and Suffet, 1987). However, 

concentrations of geosmin and MIB were not as elevated as 

expected in Cedar Creek on May 12, 2002, with detections of 

8.1 and 11 ng/L, respectively (table 20 and data on file at USGS 

office in Lawrence, Kansas). 

Concentrations of actinomycetes in Lake Olathe during 

2002 were small with the exception of October 30, 2002 
56 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

(fig. 14). Concentrations ranged from 4 to 64 col/mL, and the 

larger concentrations reported in September and October 2002 

(12 and 64 col/mL, respectively) were coincident with detectable concentrations of geosmin (fig. 14). Cyanobacteria 

capable of producing geosmin were noticeably absent in September 2002 (fig. 13), a period when there were frequent tasteand-odor complaints from Olathe residents being served from 

this water supply. It is apparent that geosmin is an important 

cause of taste-and-odor complaints, but there also may be other 

factors contributing to taste and odor in Lake Olathe. It is possible that during this period geosmin was produced by actinomycetes or other unidentified algae or bacteria not associated 

with cyanobacteria. Although Melosira, Cryptomonas, and 

Oscillatoria were present in September 2002 samples (table 28 

at the back of this report), the concentrations of these phytoplankton probably were not large enough to cause the frequent taste-and-odor complaints.

Statistical Models for Estimation of Geosmin

Developing statistical relations for geosmin using continuous real-time water-quality constituents was difficult because of 

infrequent geosmin detections. Lake Olathe (Lake Olathe near 

dam and Lake Olathe at upstream end) was sampled 24 times 

during June 2000 through December 31, 2002 (table 20), and 

geosmin was detected at concentrations greater than the laboratory minimum detection level of 5.0 ng/L in 12 of the samples. 

One-half of the detection level for geosmin, 2.5 ng/L, was used 

in the statistical models of this study for the 12 samples with 

results less than the detection level.

The least-squares regression model developed for geosmin 

used data from both continuous real-time water-quality constituents and water-quality sampling and measurements. The independent variables selected for the equation included Secchi 

depth, specific conductance, and turbidity. On the basis of the 

coefficient of determination (R2

), p-values for the individual 

variables, mean square error, and t-statistic, the following equation was developed (table 6):

geosmin=1.08Secchi - 0.064SC + 0.24Turb + 31.04, (25)

where 

geosmin is an earthy taste-and-odor compound in water, in 

nanograms per liter;

Secchi is the Secchi depth, in feet;

SC is the continuous specific conductance measurement, in microsiemens per centimeter at 25 o

C; 

and

Turb is the continuous turbidity measurement, in 

nephelometric turbidity units.

The analysis indicates that geosmin concentrations in Lake 

Olathe increase following periods of rainfall and runoff, as 

reflected by increases in turbidity (wash-in of soils and other 

substances from the watershed) and concomitant decreases in 

specific conductance, a result of dilution from rain water with 

small solute concentrations. This relation is consistent with a 

hypothesis that earthy or musty odors in Lake Olathe during 

2000–02 were associated with the wash-in of soils and associated microorganisms such as actinomycetes. Thus, the source of 

tastes and odors may be external to the lake rather than a result 

of internal eutrophication processes.

The coefficient of determination (R2) for the least-squares 

regression equation, 0.70 (p-value =0.0016), indicated a statistically significant relation for geosmin using Secchi depth, specific conductance, and turbidity. However, with the limited 

data set it was not feasible to develop statistically valid regression equations using only continuous real-time parameters. 

Summary

Surface-water-quality conditions and relations with tasteand-odor occurrences were investigated in the Lake Olathe 

watershed in northeast Kansas during 2000–02. One site on 

Cedar Creek and two sites in Lake Olathe were sampled from 

June 2000 to December 2002 to characterize the water quality 

in relation to major ions, nutrients, selected trace elements, 

selected pesticides, fecal indicator bacteria, phytoplankton, and 

taste-and-odor compounds. Water-quality sampling was conducted both seasonally and under varying hydrologic conditions 

to evaluate watershed processes. In addition, continuous realtime water-quality monitors were installed in 2000 in Cedar 

Creek and Lake Olathe, and data from these instruments were 

used to develop surrogate relations for selected compounds. 

Nutrients are essential for the growth and reproduction of 

plants, but excess nutrient enrichment to a lake increases the 

rate of eutrophication and can lead to excessive growth of algae 

and other aquatic plants. The mean and median concentrations 

of the various forms of nitrogen were larger in samples from 

Cedar Creek than in samples from the epilimnion of Lake 

Olathe, indicating that the source of nitrogen was the watershed 

and that nutrients were transported to the lake by Cedar Creek. 

Median total phosphorus concentrations in water from Cedar 

Creek were more than two times greater than in samples from 

the epilimnion of Lake Olathe, indicating that the primary 

source of phosphorus enrichment to the lake was the watershed. 

However, increased concentrations of phosphorus in samples 

from the hypolimnion of Lake Olathe also indicated internal 

loading of phosphorus as phosphorus is released from the 

bottom sediment. 

In addition to boron, two trace elements, iron and manganese, were monitored in both Cedar Creek and Lake Olathe. 

Because increased concentrations of these elements can cause 

taste and odor in drinking water, USEPA has established Secondary Drinking Water Reguations for treated water of 300 and 

50 μg/L for iron and manganese, respectively. The median concentrations of both iron and manganese in the epilimnion of 

Lake Olathe, less than 10 and less than 1 μg/L, respectively, 

were substantially less than the criteria; however, manganese 
Summary 57

concentrations as large as 3,100 μg/L were detected in samples 

from the lake hypolimnion.

Fifty pesticides, including herbicides and insecticides, 

were analyzed in water samples from Cedar Creek and Lake 

Olathe, and 10 pesticides were detected at concentrations 

greater than 0.01 μg/L. Four of the pesticides or degradation 

products, all herbicides used to control broadleaf weeds and 

grasses, were detected at concentrations greater than 1.0 μg/L in 

samples from Cedar Creek. In particular, atrazine, a preemergent herbicide applied to corn and other crops, was detected frequently. Atrazine concentrations varied seasonally, and concentrations were larger during the late spring and summer, 

coinciding with agricultural application, than in the early 

spring, fall, and winter. Concentrations of atrazine did not 

exceed the chronic aquatic-life criteria of 3.0 μg/L or the annual 

average USEPA Maximum Contaminant Level for drinking 

water of 3.0 μg/L during 2001 and 2002; however, concentrations in single samples did exceed these criteria.

Nutrient loads and yields for forms of nitrogen and phosphorus were estimated using regression analysis. The soluble 

fraction of nitrogen, represented by nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen, accounted for nearly 50 percent of the total nutrient load to 

Lake Olathe during 2001 and 2002. The mean annual orthophosphate load, the fraction of total phosphorus that can be utilized directly by algae and other aquatic plants, represented 

29 percent of the total phosphorus load. Loading of orthophosphate to Lake Olathe can lead to algal blooms and taste-andodor problems in the drinking water. Mean annual yields of 

both total nitrogen and total phosphorus in Lake Olathe, 

13.0 and 1.1 lb/acre, respectively, were similar to other watersheds characterized by mixed-agricultural land-use practices. 

Nutrient ratios were computed to better understand 

whether nitrogen or phosphorus concentrations are limiting 

algal production in Lake Olathe. The analysis indicated that 

algal growth in Lake Olathe may have been limited by phosphorus throughout much of the year and that lake turbidity was 

caused primarily by silt and clay particles washed in from the 

watershed. Light availability also could be a factor that 

limits algal productivity and water clarity as estimated by 

water turbidity.

Trophic state analysis of Lake Olathe, which is based on a 

classification system used by the Kansas Department of Health 

and Environment (KDHE) to establish a lake-use impairment 

identification system, indicated that Lake Olathe was eutrophic 

on the basis of large concentrations of chlorophyll. Carlson’s 

mean annual trophic-state indices for Lake Olathe for 2000–02, 

which are based on algal biomass measured by either chlorophyll-a or total phosphorus concentrations, were 55 and 63, 

indicating eutrophic conditions in the lake. Trophic response 

also was evaluated for Lake Olathe using an empirical model 

developed by Vollenweider to measure the total phosphorus 

entering and retained in the lake. The model was not sufficiently robust and computed total phosphorus concentrations 

10 times less than the observed mean total phosphorus 

concentration, suggesting that other models might better 

explain nutrient conditions in Lake Olathe.

Fecal coliform bacteria densities in samples from Cedar 

Creek exceeded KDHE (2001) secondary contact criterion of 

2,000 col/ 100 mL water for any single sample in four of the 

seven storm-runoff samples collected from 2000 through 2002. 

The KDHE criterion also was exceeded in samples from Cedar 

Creek during periods of low flow in July and October 2000. 

The current (2004) KDHE criterion, which is based on the geometric mean of five Escherichia coli (E. coli) samples collected 

during 30 days, was not evaluated in this study. Concentrations 

of fecal coliform bacteria in samples from Lake Olathe were 

less than primary and secondary single-sample criteria for recreational waters in Kansas. Swimming is not allowed in Lake 

Olathe, so the primary contact recreation criterion that describes 

full-body contact with water probably does not apply.

Microcystin-LR, a toxic algal compound, was sampled and 

analyzed in water from Cedar Creek and Lake Olathe during 

2002. Concentrations of the compound ranged from 0.1 to 

0.41 μg/L. On the basis of World Health Organization drinking-water guidelines of 1.0 μg/L, these concentrations do not 

appear to pose any health-associated risks at present.

Phytoplankton taxa were identified in samples from both 

Cedar Creek and Lake Olathe. There were instances when as 

many as seven algal divisions were identified, but typically 

Bacillariophyta, Chlorophyta, and cyanobacteria, represented 

90 percent or more of all taxa. Some of the taxa identified in 

Lake Olathe, such as Asterionella formosa (Bacillariophyta), 

Oscillatoria spp. (cyanobacteria), and Lyngbya limnetica

(cyanobacteria) are known producers of taste-and-odor compounds that may be responsible for problems associated with 

the Lake Olathe drinking-water supply.

Regression models were developed for four taste-and-odor 

associated phytoplankton species detected frequently in Lake 

Olathe—Melosira granulata, Anabaena, Oscillatoria, and

Cryptomonas. The coefficients of determination, R2

, ranged 

from 0.64 to 0.89, and p-values ranged from less than 0.001 to 

0.014, indicating a statistically significant relation with the 

chosen variables. 

In 2002, water from Cedar Creek and Lake Olathe was 

sampled and analyzed for actinomycetes, a known producer of 

geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol (MIB). During 2002, Lake 

Olathe actinomycetes concentrations ranged from 4 to 

64 col/mL water, and geosmin concentrations ranged from 

less than 5.0 to 12.0 ng/L.

Two chemicals associated with cyanobacteria and many of 

the most severe taste-and-odor problems in lakes and reservoirs, 

geosmin and MIB, were detected in Lake Olathe. Detections of 

MIB were infrequent, and as a result regression analysis was not 

done using this chemical; however, a regression model was 

developed for geosmin using Secchi depth, specific conductance, and turbidity. The coefficient of determination, R2

, was 

0.70, and the p-value was 0.0016, indicating a statistically significant relation using these variables. However, the use of 
58 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

Secchi transparency depth in the model prevented model development using only continuous real-time water-quality constituents and thus limits the model’s predictive utility. 

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62 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02
Supplemental Information
64 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

Table 22. Specifications for the multiparameter YSI 6600 monitor.

[μS/cm, microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius; oC, degrees Celsius; NTU, nephelometric turbidity units; mg/L, milligrams per liter]

Parameter Sensor type Range Accuracy

Specific conductance four electrode cell with autoranging 0 to 100,000 μS/cm +0.5 percent of reading +1 μS/cm

pH glass combination electrode 0 to 14 standard units +0.2 standard units

Water temperature thermistor -5 to 45 oC +0.15 oC

Turbidity (6026 sensor) optical, 90 o scatter 0 to 1,000 NTU1

1Recent use of the YSI shows that the reporting range can exceed 1,000 NTU. However, the accuracy of the range greater than 1,000 NTU has not been 

established yet.

+5 percent of reading

Dissolved oxygen rapid pulse 0 to 50 mg/L 0 to 20 mg/L, +0.2 mg/L; 20 to 50 mg/L, + 0.6 mg/L

Fluorescence 

(6025 sensor)

optical fluorescence with 

mechanical cleaning

0 to 400 μg/L + 0.1 μg/L
Supplemental Information 65

Table 23. Inorganic water-quality constituents, parameter codes, and detection levels for water-quality samples collected from Cedar 

Creek at Highway 56 and Lake Olathe near Olathe, northeast Kansas, 2000–02.

[μS/cm, microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius; degrees C, degrees Celsius; mg/L, milligrams per liter; NTU, nephelometric turbidity units; 

col/100 mL, colonies per 100 milliliters of water; μg/L, micrograms per liter]

Constituent

U.S. 

Geological 

Survey 

parameter 

code

Units of 

measurement Detection level Reference for U.S. Geological Survey analytical method 

Specific conductance, field 00095 μS/cm 0 to 100,000 Wilde and Radtke, 1998

Specific conductance, laboratory 90095 μS/cm 2.6 Fishman and Friedman, 1989

pH, field 00400 standard units 0 to 14 Wilde and Radtke, 1998

pH, laboratory 00403 standard units .1 Fishman and Friedman, 1989

Water temperature 00010 degrees C -5 to 45 Wilde and Radtke, 1998

Turbidity 99872 NTU .1 Fishman and Friedman, 1989

Dissolved oxygen 00300 mg/L 0 to 50 Wilde and Radtke, 1998

Alkalinity, field 29801 mg/L as CaCO3 1 Fishman and Friedman, 1989

Alkalinity, laboratory 90410 mg/L as CaCO3 1 Fishman and Friedman, 1989

Dissolved solids 70300 mg/L 10 Fishman and Friedman, 1989

Calcium 00915 mg/L .012 Fishman and Friedman, 1989

Magnesium 00925 mg/L .008 Fishman and Friedman, 1989

Sodium 00930 mg/L .09 Fishman and Friedman, 1989

Potassium 00935 mg/L .11 Fishman and Friedman, 1989

Sulfate 00945 mg/L .11 Fishman and Friedman, 1989

Chloride 00940 mg/L .33 Fishman and Friedman, 1989

Fluoride 00950 mg/L .11 Fishman and Friedman, 1989

Silica 00955 mg/L .21 Fishman and Friedman, 1989

Nitrogen, nitrite 00613 mg/L .008 Fishman and Friedman, 1989

Nitrogen, nitrite plus nitrate 00631 mg/L .047 Fishman and Friedman, 1989

Nitrogen, ammonia 00608 mg/L .041 Fishman and Friedman, 1989

Nitrogen, ammonia plus organic nitrogen 00625 mg/L .1 Fishman and Friedman, 1989

Phosphorus, total 00665 mg/L .06 Patton and Truitt, 1992

Phosphorus, orthophosphate 00671 mg/L .018 Patton and Truitt, 1992

Boron 01020 mg/L 13 Fishman and Friedman, 1989

Iron 01046 mg/L 10 Fishman and Friedman, 1989

Manganese 01056 mg/L .1 Faires, L.M., 1993

E.-coli bacteria 90902 col/100 mL 1 American Public Health 

Association and others, 1985

Fecal coliform bacteria 31625 col/100 mL 1 Britton and Greeson, 1989

Enterococci bacteria 90909 col/100 mL 1 American Public Health 

Association and others, 1985

Total suspended solids 00530 mg/L 10 Fishman and Friedman, 1989

Suspended sediment 80154 mg/L 10 Fishman and Friedman, 1989

Atrazine (ELISA) 34756 μg/L .10 Zaugg and others, 1995
66 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

Table 24. Organic water-quality constituents, parameter codes, and reporting limits for 

samples collected from Cedar Creek at Highway 56 and Lake Olathe near Olathe, northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02.

[From Zaugg and others, 1995; μg/L, micrograms per liter; pct, percent]

Constituent U.S. Geological Survey 

parameter code Reporting limit Units of measurement

2,6-Diethylaniline 82660 0.006 μg/L

Acetochlor 49260 .006 μg/L

Alachlor 46342 .0045 μg/L

alpha-HCH 34253 .0046 μg/L

alpha-HCH-d6 (surrogate) 91065 .1 pct

Atrazine 39632 .007 μg/L

Azinphos-methyl 82686 .05 μg/L

Benfluralin 82673 .01 μg/L

Butylate 04028 .002 μg/L

Carbaryl 82680 .041 μg/L

Carbofuran 82674 .02 μg/L

Chlorpyrifos 38933 .005 μg/L

cis-Permethrin 82687 .006 μg/L

Cyanazine 04041 .018 μg/L

Dacthal 82682 .003 μg/L

Deethylatrazine 04040 .006 μg/L

Diazinon 39572 .005 μg/L

Diazinon-d10 (surrogate) 91063 .1 pct

Dieldrin 39381 .0048 μg/L

Disulfoton 82677 .021 μg/L

EPTC 82668 .002 μg/L

Ethalfluralin 82663 .009 μg/L

Ethoprophos 82672 .005 μg/L

Fonofos 04095 .0027 μg/L

Lindane 39341 .004 μg/L

Linuron 82666 .035 μg/L

Malathion 39532 .027 μg/L

Metolachlor 39415 .013 μg/L

Metribuzin 82630 .006 μg/L

Molinate 82671 .0016 μg/L

Napropamide 82684 .007 μg/L

p,p'-DDE 34653 .0025 μg/L

Parathion 39542 .01 μg/L

Parathion-methyl 82667 .006 μg/L

Pebulate 82669 .0041 μg/L

Pendimethalin 82683 .022 μg/L

Phorate 82664 .011 μg/L
Supplemental Information 67

Prometon 04037 0.015 μg/L

Propachlor 04024 .01 μg/L

Propanil 82679 .011 μg/L

Propargite 82685 .023 μg/L

Propyzamide 82676 .0041 μg/L

Simazine 04035 .005 μg/L

Tebuthiuron 82670 .016 μg/L

Terbacil 82665 .034 μg/L

Terbufos 82675 .017 μg/L

Thiobencarb 82681 .0048 μg/L

Triallate 82678 .0023 μg/L

Trifluralin 82661 .009 μg/L

Table 24. Organic water-quality constituents, parameter codes, and reporting limits for 

samples collected from Cedar Creek at Highway 56 and Lake Olathe near Olathe, northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02. 

[From Zaugg and others, 1995; μg/L, micrograms per liter; pct, percent]

Constituent U.S. Geological Survey 

parameter code Reporting limit Units of measurement

—Continued
68 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

Table 25. Results of equipment and rinse blank analysis of water-quality samples collected from Lake Olathe near Olathe, northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02.

[μS/cm, microsiemen per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius; mg/L, milligrams per liter; μg/L, micrograms per liter; E, estimated; <, less than; --, not 

applicable]

Constituent (unit of measurement)

Sample type and date (month/day/year)

Equipment 

blank

(12/5/2000)

Rinse blank

(12/7/2000)

Rinse blank

(12/8/2000)

Rinse blank 

(7/24/2002)

Equipment 

blank

(10/22/2001)

Equipment 

blank

(7/18/2002)

Equipment 

blank

(7/23/2002)

Specific conductance (μS/cm) E1.8 E2.0 E1.9 -- 4.0 3.5 4.2

pH (standard units) 7.3 7.5 7.3 -- 6.0 8.2 8.0

Alkalinity (mg/L as CaCO3) 1.9 1.9 1.7 -- 1.1 1.8 1.8

Calcium (mg/L) <.01 E.01 <.01 -- .03 .04 .26

Magnesium (mg/L) <.01 <.01 <.01 -- <.01 E<.01 .02

Sodium (mg/L) .04 E.03 E.05 -- E.05 <.09 E.06

Chloride (mg/L) <.08 <.08 <.08 -- .55 <.30 <.30

Fluoride (mg/L) <.16 <.16 <.16 -- <.10 E.06 <.10

Ammonia plus organic nitrogen, as 

nitrogen (mg/L)

<.08 <.08 E.05 -- <.10 <.10 E.06

Ammonia plus dissolved organic nitrogen, as nitrogen (mg/L)<.10 <.10 <.10 -- <.10 <.10 E.05

Boron (μg/L) 22 19 E13 -- E11 <13 <13

Manganese (μg/L) -- -- E.08 -- E.07 E.05 .21

2,6-Diethylaniline (μg/L) -- -- -- <0.1 -- -- --

2-Chloro-4-isopropylamino-6-aminos-triazine (μg/L)-- -- -- <.006 -- -- --

Acetochlor (μg/L) -- -- -- <.006 -- -- --

Alachlor (μg/L) -- -- -- <.006 -- -- --

Azinphos-methyl (μg/L) -- -- -- <.007 -- -- --

Benfluralin (μg/L) -- -- -- <.05 -- -- --

Butylate (μg/L) -- -- -- <.01 -- -- --

Carbaryl (μg/L) -- -- -- <.002 -- -- --

Carbofuran (μg/L) -- -- -- <.041 -- -- --

Chlorpyrifos (μg/L) -- -- -- <.02 -- -- --

cis-Permethrin (μg/L) -- -- -- <.005 -- -- --

Cyanazine (μg/L) -- -- -- <.006 -- -- --

DCPA (μg/L) -- -- -- <.018 -- -- --

Diazinon (μg/L) -- -- -- <.003 -- -- --

Disulfoton (μg/L) -- -- -- <.005 -- -- --

EPTC (μg/L) -- -- -- <.021 -- -- --

Ethalfluralin (μg/L) -- -- -- <.002 -- -- --

Ethoprop (μg/L) -- -- -- <.009 -- -- --

Fonofos (μg/L) -- -- -- <.005 -- -- --

Lindane (μg/L) -- -- -- <.003 -- -- --

Linuron (μg/L) -- -- -- <.004 -- -- --
Supplemental Information 69

Malathion (μg/L) -- -- -- <0.035 -- -- --

Methyl parathion (μg/L) -- -- -- <.027 -- -- --

Metolachlor (μg/L) -- -- -- <.006 -- -- --

Metribuzin (μg/L) -- -- -- <.013 -- -- --

Molinate (μg/L) -- -- -- <.006 -- -- --

Napropamide (μg/L) -- -- -- <.002 -- -- --

p,p’-DDE (μg/L) -- -- -- <.007 -- -- --

Parathion (μg/L) -- -- -- <.002 -- -- --

Pebulate (μg/L) -- -- -- <.01 -- -- --

Pendimethalin (μg/L) -- -- -- <.004 -- -- --

Phorate (μg/L) -- -- -- <.02 -- -- --

Prometon (μg/L) -- -- -- <.01 -- -- --

Pronamide (μg/L) -- -- -- <.02 -- -- --

Propachlor (μg/L) -- -- -- <.004 -- -- --

Propanil (μg/L) -- -- -- <.01 -- -- --

Propargite (μg/L) -- -- -- <.01 -- -- --

Simazine (μg/L) -- -- -- <.02 -- -- --

Tebuthiuron (μg/L) -- -- -- <.005 -- -- --

Terbacil (μg/L) -- -- -- <.016 -- -- --

Terbufos (μg/L) -- -- -- <.034 -- -- --

Thiobencarb (μg/L) -- -- -- <.017 -- -- --

Triallate (μg/L) -- -- -- <.005 -- -- --

Triazine screen (μg/L) -- -- -- <.002 -- -- --

Trifluralin (μg/L) -- -- -- <.009 -- -- --

Table 25. Results of equipment and rinse blank analysis of water-quality samples collected from Lake Olathe near Olathe, northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02.

[μS/cm, microsiemen per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius; mg/L, milligrams per liter; μg/L, micrograms per liter; E, estimated; <, less than; --, not 

applicable] 

Constituent (unit of measurement)

Sample type and date (month/day/year)

Equipment 

blank

(12/5/2000)

Rinse blank

(12/7/2000)

Rinse blank

(12/8/2000)

Rinse blank 

(7/24/2002)

Equipment 

blank

(10/22/2001)

Equipment 

blank

(7/18/2002)

Equipment 

blank

(7/23/2002)

—Continued
70 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

Table 26. Results of replicate sample analysis for water-quality samples collected from Lake Olathe near dam (site 2), northeast 

Kansas, 2001–02.

[mg/L, milligrams per liter; μg/L, micrograms per liter; ng/L, nanograms per liter; <, less than; --, not calculated; E, estimated]

Description (unit of measurement)

Original sample

(Lake Olathe near 

dam)

Replicate sample 

(Lake Olathe near 

dam)

Relative 

percentage 

difference

Date (month/day/year) 4/18/2001 4/18/2001

Time (24-hour) 1020 1025

Ammonia, as nitrogen (mg/L) 0.09 0.09 0

Ammonia plus dissolved organic nitrogen, as nitrogen (mg/L) .51 .54 -5.71

Ammonia plus organic nitrogen, as nitrogen (mg/L) .81 .72 11.76

Nitrite plus nitrate, as nitrogen (mg/L) 2.0 2.0 0

Nitrite, as nitrogen (mg/L) .04 .04 0

Phosphorus, dissolved, as phosphorus (mg/L) <.06 <.06 --

Phosphate, ortho, as phosphorus (mg/L) <.02 <.02 --

Phosphorus, total, as phosphorus (mg/L) E.03 <.06 --

Date (month/day/year) 5/17/2001 5/17/2001

Time (24-hour) 1000 1005

Ammonia, as nitrogen (mg/L) <.04 <.04 --

Ammonia plus dissolved organic nitrogen, as nitrogen (mg/L) .39 .41 -5.0

Ammonia plus organic nitrogen, as nitrogen (mg/L) .56 .58 -3.51

Nitrite plus nitrate, as nitrogen (mg/L) 1.2 1.2 0

Nitrite, as nitrogen (mg/L) .04 .04 0

Phosphorus, dissolved, as phosphorus (mg/L) <.06 <.06 --

Phosphate, ortho, as phosphorus (mg/L) <.02 <.02 --

Phosphorus, total, as phosphorus (mg/L) <.06 <.06 --

Date (month/day/year) 6/4/2002 6/4/2002

Time (24-hour) 1100 1105 --

Suspended sediment concentration (mg/L) 5.8 2.7 72.94

Chlorophyll-a, HPLC (μg/L) 14 18 -25

Chlorophyll-b, HPLC (μg/L) 2 2 0

Phytoplankton biomass, ash weight (mg/L) 2,470 2,580 -4.35

Phytoplankton biomass, dry weight (mg/L) 2,520 2,620 -3.89

2-Methylisoborneol (ng/L) <5 <5 --

Geosmin, (ng/L) <5 <5 --

Date (month/day/year) 6/27/2001 6/27/2001

Time (24-hour) 1020 1025 --

Ammonia, as nitrogen (mg/L) <.04 E.02 --

Ammonia plus dissolved organic nitrogen, as nitrogen (mg/L) .39 .42 -7.41

Ammonia plus organic nitrogen, as nitrogen (mg/L) .72 1.0 -32.56

Nitrite plus nitrate, as nitrogen (mg/L) .96 .94 2.1

Nitrite, as nitrogen (mg/L) .06 .06 0

Phosphorus, dissolved, as phosphorus (mg/L) <.06 <.06 --
Supplemental Information 71

6/27/2001 6/27/2001

Phosphate, ortho, as phosphorus (mg/L) <0.02 <0.02 --

Phosphorus, total, as phosphorus (mg/L) E.04 E.06 -40

Date (month/day/year) 8/14/2001 8/14/2001

Time (24-hour) 945 950 --

Ammonia, as nitrogen (mg/L) E.03 E.02 40

Ammonia plus dissolved organic nitrogen, as nitrogen (mg/L) .36 .34 5.7

Ammonia plus organic nitrogen, as nitrogen (mg/L) .81 .77 5.1

Nitrite plus nitrate, as nitrogen (mg/L) E.02 E.03 -40

Nitrite, as nitrogen (mg/L) <.006 <.006 --

Phosphorus, dissolved, as phosphorus (mg/L) <.06 <.06 --

Phosphate, ortho, as phosphorus (mg/L) <.02 <.02 --

Phosphorus, total, as phosphorus (mg/L) E.04 E.03 29

Date (month/day/year) 8/15/2001 8/15/2001

Time (24-hour) 900 905

Ammonia, as nitrogen (mg/L) .40 .40 0

Ammonia plus dissolved organic nitrogen, as nitrogen (mg/L) .77 .83 -7.5

Ammonia plus organic nitrogen, as nitrogen (mg/L) E.03 E.03 0

Nitrite plus nitrate, as nitrogen (mg/L) <.05 <.05 --

Nitrite, as nitrogen (mg/L) <.006 <.006 --

Phosphorus, dissolved, as phosphorus (mg/L) <.02 <.02 --

Phosphate, ortho, as phosphorus (mg/L) <.06 <.06 --

Phosphorus, total, as phosphorus (mg/L) E.05 E.05 0

Date (month/day/year) 6/18/2002 6/18/2002

Time (24-hour) 1345 1350 --

Total organic carbon (mg/L) 6.4 6.6 -3.08

Chlorophyll-a, chromatographic (μg/L) 22 22 0

Geosmin, (ng/L) <5 <5 --

2-Methylisoborneol (ng/L) <5 <5 --

Table 26. Results of replicate sample analysis for water-quality samples collected from Lake Olathe near dam (site 2), northeast 

Kansas, 2001–02. 

[mg/L, milligrams per liter; μg/L, micrograms per liter; ng/L, nanograms per liter; <, less than; --, not calculated; E, estimated]

Description (unit of measurement)

Original sample

(Lake Olathe near 

dam)

Replicate sample 

(Lake Olathe near 

dam)

Relative 

percentage 

difference

—Continued
72 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

Table 27. Phytoplankton taxa, biovolume, and relative percentage abundance in water 

from Cedar Creek at Highway 56, northeast Kansas, 2000–02.

[μm3/mL, cubic micrometers per milliliter of water]

Date

(month/day/year) Taxa Biovolume, (μm3

/mL)

Relative 

percentage 

abundance

6/19/2000 Bacillariophyta

Amphora ovalis 6,170 1.11

Cyclotella spp. 47,600 8.52

Denticula spp. 2,280 .41

Diploneis spp. 2,640 .47

Fragilaria spp. 1,220 .22

Gyrosigma scalproides 4,850 .87

Meridion circulare 4,410 .79

Navicula tripunctata 2,230 .40

Navicula trivialis 4,570 .82

Nitzschia acicularis 3,200 .57

Nitzschia spp. 14,600 2.61

Nitzschia levidensis 2,280 .41

Nitzschia linearis 6,400 1.15

Nitzschia palea 4,570 .82

Planothidium lanceolatum 10,600 1.89

Rhoicosphenia curvata 24,200 4.34

Chlorophyta

Chlamydomonas globosa 5,290 .95

Chlorella vulgaris 89,900 16.1

Micrasterias radiata 1,140 .21

Scenedesmus bijuga 16,900 3.03

Ulothrix subtilissima 130,000 23.3

Chrysophyta

Mallomonas acaroids 44,100 7.89

Mallomonas apochromatica 600 .11

Cyanophyta

Chroococcus turgidis 800 .14

Euglenophyta

Euglena spp. 8,810 1.58

Trachelomonas laucustris 2,630 .47

Trachelomonas pulchella 35,300 6.31

Trachelomonas spp. 24,700 4.42

Pyrrophyta

Glenodinium sp. 28,600 5.12

Gymnodinium sp. 26,400 4.74

Peridinium spp. 1,140 .20

6/20/2000 Bacillariophyta

Denticula spp. 11,400 1.12

Fragilaria spp. 3,040 .30

Gomphonema acuminatum 14,300 1.40

Gomphonema truncatum 2,400 .23

Meridion circulare 14,300 1.40
Supplemental Information 73

6/20/2000 Bacillariophyta—Continued

Navicula trivialis 35,300 3.45

Nitzschia spp. 31,400 3.08

Nitzschia levidensis 17,600 1.73

Nitzschia linearis 37,500 3.67

Planothidium lanceolatum 720 .07

Rhoicosphenia curvata 141,000 13.8

Surirella ovata 10,300 1.01

Synedra spp. 360 .03

Chlorophyta

Chlorella ellipsoidea 66,100 6.47

Chlorella vulgaris 31,700 3.11

Cosmarium spp. 33,100 3.24

Scenedesmus bijuga 42,300 4.14

Staurastrum spp. 247,000 24.2

Ulothrix subtilissima 51,400 5.03

Cryptophyta

Cryptomonas spp. 800 .08

Cyanophyta

Aphanocapsa spp. 168,000 16.4

Oscillatoria sp. 360 .03

Euglenophyta

Euglena spp. 14,300 1.40

Phacus spp. 17,600 1.73

Trachelomonas laucustris 460 .04

Trachelomonas pulchella 14,300 1.40

Trachelomonas spp. 14,300 1.40

7/19/2000 Bacillariophyta

Achnanthes deflexa 685 .19

Achnanthidium minutissima 8,640 2.43

Aulacoseira granulata 25,100 7.08

Cocconeis placentula 2,630 .74

Craticula cuspidata 440 .12

Cyclotella spp. 6,340 1.79

Frustulia vulgaris 10,600 2.98

Gomphoneis herculeana 5,290 1.49

Gomphonema parvulum 5,290 1.49

Mastigloia cf smithii 6,170 1.74

Navicula spp. 44,100 12.4

Navicula symmetrica 12,300 3.48

Navicula tripunctata 4,570 1.29

Nitzschia clausii 2,570 .72

Nitzschia spp. 96,900 27.3

Nitzschia levidensis 7,050 1.99

Table 27. Phytoplankton taxa, biovolume, and relative percentage abundance in water 

from Cedar Creek at Highway 56, northeast Kansas, 2000–02. 

[μm3/mL, cubic micrometers per milliliter of water]

Date

(month/day/year) Taxa Biovolume, 

(μm3

/mL)

Relative 

percentage 

abundance

—Continued
74 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

7/19/2000 Bacillariophyta—Continued

Nitzschia linearis 9,710 2.74

Nitzschia palea 10,600 2.98

Nitzschia sigma 5,940 1.67

Planothidium lanceolatum 3,170 .89

Rhoicosphenia curvata 5,710 1.61

Surirella ovata 3,170 .89

Chlorophyta

Cosmarium spp. 4,410 1.24

Microspora spp. 4,100 1.16

Mougeotia sp. 30,800 8.70

Oedogonium sp. 10,600 2.98

Oocystis borgei 10,600 2.98

Cyanophyta

Chroococcus spp. 1,230 .35

Merismopedia sp. 1,410 .40

Euglenophyta

Phacus spp. 3,520 .99

Trachelomonas spp. 8,810 2.48

Pyrrophyta

Glenodinium sp. 52 .01

Gymnodinium sp. 1,320 .37

Peridinium spp. 881 .25

10/24/2000 Bacillariophyta

Fragilaria capucina 2,820 .33

Gyrosigma sp. 965 .11

Synedra delicattissima 72 .01

Synedra ulna 319 .04

Chlorophyta

Chlamydomonas globosa 416,000 48.3

Cyanophyta

Anabaena spp. 21 0

Euglenophyta

Euglena acus 2,410 .28

Trachelomonas crebea 6,030 .70

Trachelomonas hispida 489 .06

Trachelomonas pulcherrima 85,100 9.86

Trachelomonas volvocina 162,000 18.8

Trachelomonas spp. 186,000 21.5

3/21/2001 Bacillariophyta

Cocconeis placentula 783 .70

Cyclotella spp. 751 .67

Cymbella sp. 1,140 1.02

Table 27. Phytoplankton taxa, biovolume, and relative percentage abundance in water 

from Cedar Creek at Highway 56, northeast Kansas, 2000–02. 

[μm3/mL, cubic micrometers per milliliter of water]

Date

(month/day/year) Taxa Biovolume, 

(μm3

/mL)

Relative 

percentage 

abundance

—Continued
Supplemental Information 75

3/21/2001 Bacillariophyta—Continued

Diploneis spp. 44 0.04

Gyrosigma sp. 1,560 1.40

Navicula spp. 1,480 1.33

Pinnularia sp. 771 .69

Stauroneis sp. 46 .04

Surirella sp. 3,270 2.93

Synedra delicattissima 4,350 3.90

Chlorophyta

Chlamydomonas spp. 28,500 25.6

Chrysophyta

Mallomonas producta 26 .02

Cryptophyta

Cryptomonas ovata 38,100 34.1

Euglenophyta

Trachelomonas girardiana 1,590 1.43

Trachelomonas hispida 1,190 1.07

Trachelomonas similis 2,840 2.54

Trachelomonas spp. 25,200 22.5

4/19/2001 Bacillariophyta

Cymbella sp. 17 .01

Gyrosigma sp. 2,630 1.79

Melosira granulata 15,600 10.6

Melosira sp. 79,100 54.0

Navicula spp. 11,800 8.08

Pinnularia sp. 720 .49

Surirella 8,310 5.67

Synedra delicattissima 67 .05

Synedra ulna 2,320 1.58

Chlorophyta

Chlamydomonas spp. 783 .53

Cryptophyta

Cryptomonas ovata 2,160 1.47

Euglenophyta

Euglena spp. 36 .02

Trachelomonas girardiana 1,580 1.08

Trachelomonas hispida 1,420 .97

Trachelomonas pulchella 3,820 2.60

Trachelomonas volvocina 5,430 3.71

Trachelomonas spp. 10,700 7.30

5/16/2001 Bacillariophyta

Achnanthidium minutissima 24 .01

Cocconeis placentula 996 .50

Table 27. Phytoplankton taxa, biovolume, and relative percentage abundance in water 

from Cedar Creek at Highway 56, northeast Kansas, 2000–02. 

[μm3/mL, cubic micrometers per milliliter of water]

Date

(month/day/year) Taxa Biovolume, 

(μm3

/mL)

Relative 

percentage 

abundance

—Continued
76 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

5/16/2001 Bacillariophyta—Continued

Cymatopleura solea 66 0.03

Gyrosigma sp. 59 .03

Melosira sp. 47,500 24.0

Navicula spp. 11,200 5.64

Nitzschia spp. 2,980 1.50

Pinnularia sp. 1,010 .51

Rhoicosphenia curvata 10,800 5.45

Surirella sp. 12,000 6.09

Synedra delicattissima 916 .46

Synedra ulna 1,520 .77

Tabellaria spp. 130 .07

Chlorophyta

Chlamydomonas spp. 1,850 .93

Closterium peracerosum 1,430 .72

Euglenophyta

Euglena spp. 45,700 23.1

Phacus spp. 4,630 2.34

Trachelomonas girardiana 9,540 4.82

Trachelomonas pulchella 16,300 8.24

Trachelomonas spp. 29,300 14.8 

6/3/2001 Bacillariophyta

Cocconeis placentula 18,900 6.35

Cymbella sp. 13,500 4.51

Epithemia sp. 8,200 2.75

Fragilaria spp. 13,200 4.43

Gomphonema sp. 55,200 18.5 

Gyrosigma sp. 8,970 3.01

Melosira sp. 64,400 21.6 

Melosira varians 64,600 21.7

Navicula spp. 18,500 6.21

Nitzschia spp. 9,520 3.19

Nitzschia levidensis 2,820 .95

Synedra delicattissima 306 .10

Euglenophyta

Trachelomonas similis 3,130 1.05

Trachelomonas spp. 16,700 5.61

6/26/2001 Bacillariophyta

Cymbella sp. 2,900 3.74

Diploneis spp. 105 .13

Gomphonema sp. 4,710 6.08

Gyrosigma sp. 6,580 8.50

Melosira sp. 21,700 28.0

Table 27. Phytoplankton taxa, biovolume, and relative percentage abundance in water 

from Cedar Creek at Highway 56, northeast Kansas, 2000–02. 

[μm3/mL, cubic micrometers per milliliter of water]

Date

(month/day/year) Taxa Biovolume, 

(μm3

/mL)

Relative 

percentage 

abundance

—Continued
Supplemental Information 77

6/26/2001 Bacillariophyta—Continued

Navicula spp. 3,840 4.95

Rhoicosphenia curvata 2,430 3.13

Stauroneis sp. 1,510 1.95

Synedra delicattissima 153 .20

Synedra ulna 5,790 7.48

Chlorophyta

Chlamydomonas spp. 5,280 6.82

Cryptophyta

Cryptomonas ovata 12,400 16.0

Euglenophyta

Euglena spp. 124 .16

Trachelomonas girardiana 69 .09

Trachelomonas similis 2,870 3.71

Trachelomonas spp. 7,010 9.05

3/16/2002 Bacillariophyta

Cocconeis placentula 31 .34

Gomphonema minuta 419 4.57

Melosira granulata 1,140 12.4

Synedra delicattissima 82 .89

Synedra spp. 474 5.17

Chlorophyta

Chlamydomonas spp. 807 8.80

Kirchneriella lunaris 21 .23

Tetrastrum sp. 218 2.38

Cryptophyta

Cryptomonas ovata 428 4.67

Cryptomonas spp. 4,460 48.6

Cyanophyta

Aphanocapsa spp. 432 4.71

Microcystis anguina 193 2.10

Euglenophyta

Trachelomonas similis 28 .30

Trachelomonas spp. 438 4.77

4/21/2002 Bacillariophyta

Achnanthes spp. 8,210 2.29

Cyclotella spp. 9,430 2.63

Eunotia sp. 167 .05

Gomphonema minuta 2,000 .56

Hantzshia sp. 3,310 .92

Melosira islandica 8,420 2.35

Navicula spp. 17,100 4.77

Nitzschia sigmoidea 3,280 .91

Table 27. Phytoplankton taxa, biovolume, and relative percentage abundance in water 

from Cedar Creek at Highway 56, northeast Kansas, 2000–02. 

[μm3/mL, cubic micrometers per milliliter of water]

Date

(month/day/year) Taxa Biovolume, 

(μm3

/mL)

Relative 

percentage 

abundance

—Continued
78 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

4/21/2002 Bacillariophyta—Continued

Pinnularia sp. 7,490 2.09

Rhoicosphenia curvata 1,690 .47

Synedra spp. 20,300 5.65

Synedra ulna 3,010 .84

Chlorophyta

Chlamydomonas spp. 23,300 6.49

Cryptophyta

Cryptomonas spp. 108,000 30.2

Cyanophyta

Aphanocapsa delicatissima 1,080 .30

Aphanothece sp. 51 .01

Euglenophyta

Euglena spp. 10,700 2.99

Phacus caudatus 14,900 4.14

Phacus spp. 51,000 14.2

Trachelomonas hispida 21,600 6.01

Trachelomonas pulchella 493 .14

Trachelomonas volvocina 12,500 3.48

Trachelomonas spp. 30,500 8.49

5/12/2002 Bacillariophyta

Achmamthidium minutissima 2,340 1.90

Caloneis limosa 3,660 2.96

Cymbella sp. 1,590 1.29

Gomphonema minuta 2,700 2.19

Gyrosigma linearis 2,910 2.36

Melosira islandica 9,560 7.75

Navicula spp. 5,250 4.26

Nitzschia sigmoidea 5,470 4.43

Nitzschia spp. 14,600 11.9

Synedra delicattissima 7,180 5.82

Synedra spp. 5,470 4.43

Synedra ulna 5,370 4.35

Chlorophyta

Chlamydomonas spp. 25,000 20.3

Cyanophyta

Aphanocapsa spp. 1,820 1.47

Lyngbya sp. 264 .21

Euglenophyta

Euglena spp. 228 .18

Trachelomonas spp. 29,900 24.3

Table 27. Phytoplankton taxa, biovolume, and relative percentage abundance in water 

from Cedar Creek at Highway 56, northeast Kansas, 2000–02. 

[μm3/mL, cubic micrometers per milliliter of water]

Date

(month/day/year) Taxa Biovolume, 

(μm3

/mL)

Relative 

percentage 

abundance

—Continued
Supplemental Information 79

Table 28. Phytoplankton taxa, biovolume, and relative percentage abundance in water from Lake Olathe near dam (site 2), 

northeast Kansas, 2000–02.

[μm3/mL, cubic micrometers per milliliter of water]

Sampling site (fig. 1) Date

(month/day/year) Taxa Biovolume

(μm3/mL)

Relative 

percentage 

abundance

Site 2 (epilimnion) 6/1/2000 Bacillariophyta

Cyclotella spp. 34,900 15.6

Fragilaria spp. 747 .33

Melosira granulata 48,900 21.8

Navicula spp. 961 .43

Nitzschia spp. 1,420 .63

Nitzschia linearis 1,100 .49

Chlorophyta

Chlamydomonas snowii 4,220 1.88

Chlamydomonas spp. 14,000 6.25

Cryptophyta

Rhodomonas minuta 118,000 52.6

6/20/2000 Bacillariophyta

Cyclotella spp. 31,700 .16

Meridion circulare 2,860 .01

Nitzschia acicularis 617,000 3.16

Synedra delicattissima 5,780,000 29.6

Chlorophyta

Chlamydomonas globosa 1,710 .01

Chlamydomonas spp. 846,000 4.33

Chlorella ellipsoidea 153,000 .78

Closterium acutum 4,000 .02

Mougeotia sp. 30,800 .16

Oocystis borgei 13,700 .07

Oocystis pulsilla 212,000 1.08

Pseudosphaerocystis spp. 50,200 .26

Scenedesmus bijuga 1,270,000 6.5

Scenedesmus quadricauda 13,700 .07

Sphaerocystis spp. 420 0

Chrysophyta

Mallomonas elliptica 720 0

Cryptophyta

Cryptomonas spp. 35,300 .18

Cyanophyta

Anabaena helicoidea 76,100 .39

Anabaena spp. 6,300,000 32.3

Aphanocapsa spp. 370,000 1.9

Chroococcus spp. 160,000 .82

Cyanarcus spp. 881 0

Gleothece spp. 3,520 .02

Merismopedia tenuissima 128 0

Merismopedia sp. 33,500 .17

Pseudoanabaena spp. 3,310,000 16.9
80 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

Site 2 (epilimnion)—Continued 6/20/2000 Euglenophyta

Euglena spp. 44,100 0.23

Lepocinclis acuata 30,800 .16

Phacus spp. 2,280 .01

Trachelomonas pulchella 1,430 .01

Trachelomonas spp. 110,000 .56

Pyrrophyta

Peridinium spp. 17,600 .09

6/21/2000 Bacillariophyta

Asterionella formosa 254,000 22.3

Cyclotella spp. 12,700 1.11

Synedra delicattissima 42,300 3.71

Synedra spp. 10,600 .93

Chlorophyta

Ankistrodesmus falcatus 33,800 2.97

Chlamydomonas globosa 5,290 .46

Chlamydomonas spp. 3,520 .31

Chlorella ellipsoidea 15,300 1.34

Chlorella vulgaris 31,700 2.78

Cosmarium spp. 5,710 .5

Micrasterias radiata 17,100 1.5

Scenedesmus bijuga 16,900 1.48

Stigeoclonium spp. 3,120 .27

Treubaria setigerum 120 0

Cyanophyta

Anabaena spp. 127,000 11.1

Aphanocapsa spp. 47,600 4.17

Chroococcus spp. 19,100 1.67

Chroococcus turgidis 4,320 .38

Pseudoanabaena spp. 425,000 37.2

Euglenophyta

Euglena acus 300 .03

Trachelomonas pulchella 39,700 3.48

Trachelomonas spp. 24,200 2.12

Pyrrophyta

Gymnodinium sp. 1,320 .12

Site 2 (hypolimnion) 6/21/2000 Bacillariophyta

Asterionella formosa 10,600 5.18

Aulacoseira granulata 1,280 .63

Auxospores 8,810 4.31

Cyclotella spp. 3,170 1.55

Fragilaria spp. 128 .06

Melosira granulata 1,280 .63

Table 28. Phytoplankton taxa, biovolume, and relative percentage abundance in water from Lake Olathe near dam (site 2), 

northeast Kansas, 2000–02. 

[μm3/mL, cubic micrometers per milliliter of water]

Sampling site (fig. 1) Date

(month/day/year) Taxa Biovolume

(μm3

/mL)

Relative 

percentage 

abundance

—Continued
Supplemental Information 81

Site 2 (hypolimnion)—Continued 6/21/2000 Bacillariophyta—Continued

Navicula cryptonella 120 0.06

Navicula spp. 11,000 5.39

Navicula viridula 2,280 1.12

Neidium ampliatum 4,860 2.38

Nitzschia acicularis 2,470 1.21

Nitzschia spp. 3,140 1.54

Chlorophyta

Ankistrodesmus falcatus 125 .06

Chlamydomonas globosa 5,290 2.59

Chlamydomonas spp. 7,050 3.45

Chlorella ellipsoidea 3,310 1.62

Chlorella vulgaris 13,200 6.47

Selenastrum minutum 5,990 2.93

Sphaerocystis spp. 448 .22

Staurastrum spp. 16,000 7.83

Ulothrix subtilissima 24,700 12.1

Cyanophyta

Anabaena spp. 17,400 8.54

Aphanocapsa spp. 31,700 15.5

Chroococcus spp. 1,230 .60

Merismopedia sp. 64 .03

Pseudoanabaena spp. 25,400 12.4

Euglenophyta

Trachelomonas spp. 4,410 2.16

Pyrrophyta

Gymnodinium sp. 60 .03

Site 3 (epilimnion) 6/22/2000 Bacillariophyta

Asterionella formosa 4,570 .74

Auxospores 5,290 .85

Cyclotella spp. 11,400 1.83

Nitzschia acicularis 59,200 9.50

Rhoicosphenia curvata 2,860 .46

Stephanodiscus nigare 4,000 .64

Chlorophyta

Ankistrodesmus falcatus 25,400 4.07

Chlamydomonas globosa 39,700 6.36

Chlorella spp. 1,430 .23

Chlorella ellipsodiea 8,280 1.33

Chlorella vulgaris 31,700 5.09

Closterium acutum 280 .04

Oocystis borgei 13,700 2.20

Pediastrum simplex 4,570 .73

Table 28. Phytoplankton taxa, biovolume, and relative percentage abundance in water from Lake Olathe near dam (site 2), 

northeast Kansas, 2000–02. 

[μm3/mL, cubic micrometers per milliliter of water]

Sampling site (fig. 1) Date

(month/day/year) Taxa Biovolume

(μm3

/mL)

Relative 

percentage 

abundance

—Continued
82 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

Site 3 (epilimnion)—Continued 6/22/2000 Chlorophyta—Continued

Scenedesmus bijuga 11,300 1.81

Scenedesmus quadricauda 1,710 .27

Chrysophyta

Dinobryon spp. 11,300 1.81

Mallomonas acaroids 22,000 3.53

Cryptophyta

Cryptomonas erosa 2,570 .41

Cryptomonas spp. 3,520 .56

Cyanophyta 3.34

Anabaena circinalis 20,800 3.34

Anabaena spp. 268,000 42.9

Euglenophyta

Phacus spp. 2,280 .37

Trachelomonas pulchella 26,400 4.24

Trachelomonas rotunda 10,600 1.70

Trachelomonas spp. 30,800 4.95

Site 3 (epilimnion) 6/22/2000 Bacillariophyta

Achnanthidium minutissima 2,470 .37

Asterionella formosa 480 .07

Auxospores 24,700 3.67

Cyclotella spp. 16,900 2.51

Fragilaria capucina 1,540 .23

Gomphonema parvulum 1,720 .26

Navicula trivialis 2,280 .34

Navicula gregaria 5,020 .75

Nitzschia acicularis 29,600 4.40

Nitzschia spp. 48,500 7.21

Nitzschia levidensis 160 .02

Nitzschia palea 1,140 .17

Stephanodiscus nigare 8,000 1.19

Chlorophyta

Chlamydomonas globosa 10,600 1.57

Chlamydomonas spp. 33,500 4.98

Chlorella ellipsodiea 30,700 4.56

Chlorella vulgaris 5,290 .79

Pediastrum simplex 14,100 2.10

Quadrigula lacustris 4,850 .72

Scenedesmus bijuga 128 .02

Cyanophyta

Anabaena spp. 81,800 12.2

Aphanocapsa spp. 36 0

Chroococcus spp. 11,100 1.65

Chroococcus minor 57 .01

Table 28. Phytoplankton taxa, biovolume, and relative percentage abundance in water from Lake Olathe near dam (site 2), 

northeast Kansas, 2000–02. 

[μm3/mL, cubic micrometers per milliliter of water]

Sampling site (fig. 1) Date

(month/day/year) Taxa Biovolume

(μm3

/mL)

Relative 

percentage 

abundance

—Continued
Supplemental Information 83

Site 3 (epilimnion)—Continued 6/22/2000 Cyanophyta—Continued

Chroococcus turgidis 800 0.12

Psuedoanabaena spp. 272,000 40.5

Pyrrophyta

Glenodinium sp. 1,150 .17

Peridinium spp. 571 .08

Euglenophyta

Phacus spp. 2,280 .34

Trachelomonas pulchella 26,400 3.93

Trachelomonas rotunda 3,520 .52

Trachelomonas spp. 30,800 4.59

Site 2 (epilimnion) 10/24/2000 Bacillariophyta

Cymatopleura solea 60 .02

Fragilaria capucina 14,700 4.97

Melosira islandica 29,700 10.00

Navicula spp. 263 .09

Surirella ovata 36 .01

Chlorophyta

Chlamydomonas globosa 59,600 20.0

Closterium sp. 23 .01

Scenedesmus bijuga 3,550 1.20

Cryptophyta

Cryptomonas spp. 68,100 22.9

Rhodomonas minuta 11,800 3.96

Cyanophyta

Anabaena circinalis 3,650 1.23

Anabaena spp. 2,410 .81

Euglenophyta

Trachelomonas spp. 103,000 34.7

Site 3 (epilimnion) 10/24/2000 Bacillariophyta

Cyclotella spp. 2,570 .31

Fragilaria capucina 146 .02

Melosira granulata 11,800 1.44

Melosira islandica 2,870 .35

Navicula spp. 2,270 .28

Synedra ulna 322 .04

Chlorophyta

Chlamydomonas spp. 315,000 38.4

Cryptophyta

Cryptomonas spp. 49,600 6.05

Cyanophyta

Anabaena circinalis 1,640 .20

Anabaena spp. 603 .07

Table 28. Phytoplankton taxa, biovolume, and relative percentage abundance in water from Lake Olathe near dam (site 2), 

northeast Kansas, 2000–02. 

[μm3/mL, cubic micrometers per milliliter of water]

Sampling site (fig. 1) Date

(month/day/year) Taxa Biovolume

(μm3

/mL)

Relative 

percentage 

abundance

—Continued
84 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

Site 3 (epilimnion)—Continued 10/24/2000 Euglenophyta

Trachelomonas volvocina 139,000 17.0

Trachelomonas spp. 293,000 35.8

Site 2 (epilimnion) 3/20/2001 Bacillariophyta

Cyclotella spp. 49,600 63.4

Nitzschia spp. 223 .28

Surirella ovata 42 .05

Synedra delicattissima 851 1.09

Synedra ulna 2,760 3.53

Chlorophyta

Chlamydomonas spp. 17,500 22.4

Cryptophyta

Cryptomonas ovata 2,980 3.81

Euglenophyta

Trachelomonas pulchella 4,250 5.43

Site 3 (epilimnion) 3/20/2001 Bacillariophyta

Cyclotella spp. 27,500 16.4

Fragilaria crotonensis 2,440 1.45

Gomphonema sp. 600 .36

Melosira islandica 2,530 1.50

Melosira sp. 7,840 4.65

Stauroneis sp. 44 .03

Synedra delicattissima 1,450 .86

Synedra ulna 1,210 .72

Chlorophyta

Chlamydomonas spp. 64,300 38.2

Cryptophyta

Cryptomonas ovata 35,300 21.0

Euglenophyta

Trachelomonas hispida 28 .02

Trachelomonas pulchella 7,770 4.61

Trachelomonas spp. 17,400 10.4

Site 2 (epilimnion) 4/18/2001 Bacillariophyta

Asterionella formosa 228 .10

Cyclotella spp. 8,630 3.98

Cymbella sp. 20 .01

Gyrosigma sp. 66 .03

Melosira sp. 58,000 26.8

Surirella ovata 52 .02

Synedra delicattissima 67 .03

Table 28. Phytoplankton taxa, biovolume, and relative percentage abundance in water from Lake Olathe near dam (site 2), 

northeast Kansas, 2000–02. 

[μm3/mL, cubic micrometers per milliliter of water]

Sampling site (fig. 1) Date

(month/day/year) Taxa Biovolume

(μm3

/mL)

Relative 

percentage 

abundance

—Continued
Supplemental Information 85

Site 2 (epilimnion)—Continued 4/18/2001 Chlorophyta

Ankistrodesmus falcatus 233 0.11

Chlamydomonas spp. 90,900 42.0

Closterium moniliferum 52 .02

Elakotothrix gelatinosa 25 .01

Cryptophyta

Cryptomonas ovata 44,300 20.5

Rhodomonas lacustris 11,900 5.51

Cyanophyta

Aphanocapsa delicatissima 627 .29

Euglenophyta

Trachelomonas pulchella 1,120 .51

Trachelomonas spp. 263 .12

Site 2 (hypolimnion) 4/18/2001 Bacillariophyta

Cyclotella spp. 7,860 10.8

Melosira granulata 4,370 6.01

Melosira sp. 57,300 78.8

Navicula spp. 13 .02

Synedra ulna 397 .55

Tabellaria flocculosa 91 .12

Chlorophyta

Chlamydomonas spp. 943 1.30

Euglenophyta

Trachelomonas pulchella 732 1.01

Trachelomonas spp. 1,030 1.41

Site 2 (epilimnion) 5/17/2001 Bacillariophyta

Asterionella formosa 19,300 7.00

Cyclotella spp. 2,340 .85

Cymbella sp. 360 .13

Melosira islandica 79,000 28.7

Melosira sp. 68,100 24.8

Melosira varians 16,600 6.04

Surirella ovata 634 .23

Synedra delicattissima 6,330 2.30

Synedra ulna 530 .19

Chlorophyta

Asterococcus limneticus 70 .02

Chlamydomonas spp. 14,200 5.15

Closterium sp. 1,710 .62

Planktosphaeria gelatinosa 4,090 1.49

Scenedesmus quadricauda 857 .31

Scenedesmus sp. 22 .01

Sphaerocystis schroeteri 2,820 1.02

Table 28. Phytoplankton taxa, biovolume, and relative percentage abundance in water from Lake Olathe near dam (site 2), 

northeast Kansas, 2000–02. 

[μm3/mL, cubic micrometers per milliliter of water]

Sampling site (fig. 1) Date

(month/day/year) Taxa Biovolume

(μm3

/mL)

Relative 

percentage 

abundance

—Continued
86 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

Site 2 (epilimnion)—Continued 5/17/2001 Chrysophyta

Mallomonas producta 21 0.01

Cryptophyta

Cryptomonas ovata 55,800 20.3

Euglenophyta

Phacus spp. 594 .22

Trachelomonas spp. 1,650 .60

Site 2 (hypolimnion) 5/17/2001 Bacillariophyta

Asterionella formosa 7,700 17.0

Cyclotella spp. 1,890 4.16

Melosira islandica 4,110 9.05

Melosira sp. 30,800 67.8

Stauroneis sp. 28 .06

Synedra delicattissima 874 1.92

Site 2 (epilimnion) 6/27/2001 Bacillariophyta

Fragilaria spp. 53,200 8.86

Melosira granulata 121,000 20.2

Chlorophyta

Actinastrum hantzschii 6,980 1.16

Asterococcus limneticus 18,300 3.05

Chlamydomonas spp. 227,000 37.8

Closterium moniliferum 550 .09

Crucigenia apiculata 126 .02

Pediastrum duplex 12,300 2.04

Pediastrum simplex 1,460 .24

Sphaerocystis schroeteri 5,180 .86

Chrysophyta

Mallomonas producta 2,220 .37

Cryptophyta

Cryptomonas ovata 108,000 17.9

Cyanophyta

Anabaena circinalis 15 0

Anabaena spp. 4,700 .78

Chrococcus dispersus 274 .04

Oscillatoria limnetica 21,400 3.56

Euglenophyta

Trachelomonas hexangulata 41 .01

Trachelomonas similis 1,400 .23

Trachelomonas spp. 14,500 2.42

Pyrrophyta

Peridinium spp. 1,880 .31

Table 28. Phytoplankton taxa, biovolume, and relative percentage abundance in water from Lake Olathe near dam (site 2), 

northeast Kansas, 2000–02. 

[μm3/mL, cubic micrometers per milliliter of water]

Sampling site (fig. 1) Date

(month/day/year) Taxa Biovolume

(μm3

/mL)

Relative 

percentage 

abundance

—Continued
Supplemental Information 87

Site 2 (hypolimnion) 6/27/2001 Bacillariophyta

Cyclotella spp. 47,900 47.0

Fragilaria spp. 20,700 20.3

Melosira granulata 11,600 11.4

Tabellaria fenestrata 4,200 4.12

Cyanophyta

Oscillatoria agardhii 13,000 12.7

Pyrrophyta

Peridinium spp. 1,350 1.32

Euglenophyta

Trachelomonas spp. 3,150 3.09

Site 2 (epilimnion) 8/14/2001 Bacillariophyta

Cyclotella spp. 34,800 4.57

Fragilaria capucina 7,450 .98

Melosira islandica 296,000 38.9

Nitzschia linearis 126 .02

Synedra ulna 39,700 5.21

Chlorophyta

Chlamydomonas spp. 32,300 4.24

Cosmarium spp. 1,970 .26

Chrysophyta

Mallomonas producta 192 .02

Mallomonas sp. 4,540 .60

Cryptophyta

Cryptomonas ovata 5,040 .66

Rhodomonas lacustris 24,400 3.21

Cyanophyta

Anabaena circinalis 27,100 3.56

Anabaena flo-aquae 180,000 23.7

Anbaena spp. 66,900 8.79

Coelosphaerium sp. 264 .03

Dactykococcopsis sp. 1,940 .25

Leptolyngbya sp. 20,100 2.64

Psuedoanabaena spp. 13,500 1.77

Euglenophyta

Phacus spp. 4,230 .55

Site 2 (hypolimnion) 8/14/2001 Bacillariophyta

Cyclotella spp. 9,720 6.59

Melosira islandica 9,960 6.75

Melosira sp. 44,500 30.2

Surirella ovata 182 .12

Synedra ulna 13,800 9.37

Table 28. Phytoplankton taxa, biovolume, and relative percentage abundance in water from Lake Olathe near dam (site 2), 

northeast Kansas, 2000–02. 

[μm3/mL, cubic micrometers per milliliter of water]

Sampling site (fig. 1) Date

(month/day/year) Taxa Biovolume

(μm3

/mL)

Relative 

percentage 

abundance

—Continued
88 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

Site 2 (hypolimnion) 8/14/2001 Chlorophyta

Pandorina morum 237 0.16

Cryptophyta

Rhodomonas lacustris 15,700 10.6

Cyanophyta

Anabaena circinalis 4,830 3.27

Anabaena spp. 20,500 13.9

Aphanocapsa spp. 5,050 3.43

Coelosphaerium pallidum 229 .15

Leptolyngbya sp. 7,150 4.85

Merismopedia punctata 38 .02

Psuedoanabaena spp. 1,120 .76

Euglenophyta

Trachelomonas spp. 14,400 9.74

Site 3 (epilimnion) 8/15/2001 Bacillariophyta

Cyclotella spp. 84,000 11.1

Melosira islandica 121,000 16.0

Melosira sp. 37,400 4.93

Synedra delicattissima 350 .05

Synedra ulna 11,400 1.50

Chlorophyta

Actinastrum hantzschii 195 .02

Chlamydomonas spp. 62,300 8.21

Cosmarium spp. 2,340 .31

Chrysophyta

Mallomonas producta 2,100 .28

Mallomonas sp. 5,200 .68

Cryptophyta

Rhodomonas lacustris 24,400 3.22

Cyanophyta

Anabaena circinalis 28,600 3.77

Anabaena flo-aquae 212,000 28.0

Anbaena spp. 42,400 5.59

Dactylococcopsis sp. 70 .01

Psuedoanabaena spp. 8,300 1.09

Euglenophyta

Euglena spp. 3,610 .48

Phacus spp. 224 .03

Trachelomonas girardiana 192 .02

Trachelomonas pulchella 1,970 .26

Trachelomonas spp. 44,300 5.84

Pyrrophyta

Glenodinium sp. 9,370 1.23

Peridinium spp. 56,200 7.41

Table 28. Phytoplankton taxa, biovolume, and relative percentage abundance in water from Lake Olathe near dam (site 2), 

northeast Kansas, 2000–02. 

[μm3/mL, cubic micrometers per milliliter of water]

Sampling site (fig. 1) Date

(month/day/year) Taxa Biovolume

(μm3

/mL)

Relative 

percentage 

abundance

—Continued
Supplemental Information 89

Site 2 (epilimnion) 10/23/2001 Bacillariophyta

Cyclotella spp. 7,780 0.79

Cymbella sp. 3,330 .34

Fragilaria spp. 71,200 7.21

Melosira granulata 205,000 20.8

Synedra delicattissima 1,090 .11

Synedra spp. 43,800 4.44

Chlorophyta

Actinastrum hantzschii 2,470 .25

Ankistrodesmus falcatus 1,180 .12

Chlamydomonas spp. 79,100 8.02

Closteriopsis sp. 368 .04

Closterium moniliferum 246 .02

Crucigenia apiculata 2,850 .29

Crucigenia sp. 3,080 .31

Scenedesmus arcuatus 20,300 2.06

Scenedesmus bijuga 18,300 1.85

Scenedesmus quadricauda 27 0

Scenedesmus sp. 9,990 1.01

Chrysophyta

Mallomonas producta 406 .04

Cryptophyta

Cryptomonas spp. 317,000 32.2

Rhodomonas lacustris 12,400 1.25

Cyanophyta

Anabaena circinalis 4,190 .42

Anabaena macrospora 3,090 .31

Anabaena spp. 13,300 1.35

Aphanizomenon flos-aquae 44 0

Chroococcus dispersus 25 0

Coelosphaerium pallidum 1,510 .15

Lyngbya limnetica 3,460 .35

Merismopedia tenuissima 1,510 .15

Microcystis aeruginosa 63 .01

Microcystis sp. 48 0

Oscillatoria sp. 24,800 2.52

Psuedoanabaena spp. 353 .03

Euglenophyta

Euglena spp. 5,760 .58

Trachelomonas girardiana 720 .07

Trachelomonas hispida 7,620 .77

Trachelomonas superba 17,300 1.76

Trachelomonas spp. 95,700 9.70

Table 28. Phytoplankton taxa, biovolume, and relative percentage abundance in water from Lake Olathe near dam (site 2), 

northeast Kansas, 2000–02. 

[μm3/mL, cubic micrometers per milliliter of water]

Sampling site (fig. 1) Date

(month/day/year) Taxa Biovolume

(μm3

/mL)

Relative 

percentage 

abundance

—Continued
90 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

Site 2 (epilimnion)—Continued 10/23/2001 Pyrrophyta

Ceratium hirundinella 4,390 0.44

Glenodinium sp. 67 .01

Peridinium spp. 2,440 .25

2/21/2002 Bacillariophyta

Cyclotella spp. 3,420 2.46

Cymbella sp. 524 .38

Fragilaria crotonensis 56 .04

Gomphonema sp. 61 .04

Melosira granulata 37,200 26.7

Synedra ulna 6,910 4.97

Chlorophyta

Ankistrodesmus falcatus 5,660 4.07

Chlamydomonas spp. 3,850 2.77

Closteriopsis gracile 2,410 1.73

Closterium sp. 1,340 .96

Cryptophyta

Cryptomonas spp. 69,800 50.2

Rhodomonas lacustris 4,350 3.13

Cyanophyta

Lyngbya limnetica 768 .55

Euglenophyta

Trachelomonas spp. 1,420 1.02

Pyrrophyta

Peridinium inconspicuum 1,220 .88

4/23/2002 Bacillariophyta

Asterionella formosa 18,300 7.63

Cyclotella spp. 8,900 3.71

Melosira granulata 28,000 11.6

Melosira islandica 56,800 23.6

Melosira varians 210 .08

Synedra delicattissima 24,100 10.0

Synedra spp. 8,440 3.51

Synedra ulna 3,030 1.26

Chlorophyta

Ankistrodesmus falcatus 1,650 .68

Chlamydomonas spp. 11,300 4.70

Closterium sp. 3,830 1.59

Chrysophyta

Mallomonas producta 1,360 .57

Mallomonas sp 1,220 .51

Cryptophyta

Cryptmonas spp. 23,800 9.91

Table 28. Phytoplankton taxa, biovolume, and relative percentage abundance in water from Lake Olathe near dam (site 2), 

northeast Kansas, 2000–02. 

[μm3/mL, cubic micrometers per milliliter of water]

Sampling site (fig. 1) Date

(month/day/year) Taxa Biovolume

(μm3

/mL)

Relative 

percentage 

abundance

—Continued
Supplemental Information 91

Site 2 (epilimnion)—Continued 4/23/2002 Cyanophyta

Aphanocapsa spp. 194 0.08

Oscillatoria sp. 60 .02

Euglenophyta

Euglena spp. 1,880 .78

Trachelomonas hispida 8,130 3.39

Trachelomonas volvocina 6,520 2.72

Trachelomonas spp. 25,100 10.4

Pyrrophyta

Ceratium hirundinella 7,400 3.08

6/4/2002 Bacillariophyta

Asterionella formosa 18,800 2.80

Cyclotella spp. 24,600 3.66

Cymbella sp. 32 0

Fragilaria crotonensis 151 .02

Melosira granulata 45,800 6.82

Melosira islandica 80,600 12.0

Nitzschia spp. 471 .07

Rhoicosphenia curvata 62 .01

Synedra delicattissima 10,800 1.61

Synedra spp. 2,310 .34

Synedra ulna 4,010 .60

Chlorophyta

Actinastrum hantzschii 2,280 .34

Chlamydomonas spp. 371,000 55.2

Closterium sp. 41 .01

Eudorina elegans 6,110 .91

Pandorina morum 2,580 .38

Scenedesmus incrassatulus 754 .11

Scenedesmus quadricauda 400 .06

Cryptophyta

Cryptomonas spp. 33,300 4.96

Rhodomonas lacustris 52,000 7.74

Cyanophyta

Aphanocapsa spp. 35 0

Merismopedia elegans 6 0

Euglenophyta

Euglena spp. 52 .01

Trachelomonas girardiana 4,960 .74

Trachelomonas superba 80 .01

Trachelomonas volvocina 935 .14

Trachelomonas spp. 7,990 1.19

Table 28. Phytoplankton taxa, biovolume, and relative percentage abundance in water from Lake Olathe near dam (site 2), 

northeast Kansas, 2000–02. 

[μm3/mL, cubic micrometers per milliliter of water]

Sampling site (fig. 1) Date

(month/day/year) Taxa Biovolume

(μm3

/mL)

Relative 

percentage 

abundance

—Continued
92 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

Site 2 (epilimnion)—Continued 6/4/2002 Pyrrophyta

Glenodinium sp. 1,360 0.20

Peridinium spp. 61 .01

6/18/2002 Bacillariophyta

Achnanthes spp. 480 .27

Cocconeis placentula 457 .26

Cyclotella spp. 2,380 1.34

Cymbella sp. 12 .01

Melosira granulata 198 .11

Melosira islandica 3,340 1.89

Navicula spp. 620 .35

Rhoicosphenia curvata 57 .03

Chlorophyta

Chlamydomonas spp. 117,000 66.2

Eudorina elegans 3,220 1.82

Cryptophyta

Cryptomonas spp. 9,870 5.58

Cyanophyta

Anabaena spp. 15 .01

Gomphosphaeria aponina 33 .02

Euglenophyta

Phacus spp. 33 .02

Trachelomonas spp. 39,100 22.1

Site 3 (epilimnion) 7/23/2002 Bacillariophyta

Cymbella lancelata 737 .19

Cymbella sp. 13 .03

Melosira granulata 3,240 .84

Melosira sp. 265 .07

Synedra delicattissima 25,800 6.70

Synedra spp. 269,000 69.9

Chlorophyta

Chlamydomonas spp. 57,900 15.0

Crucigenia apiculata 47 .01

Pediastrum simplex 49 .01

Pediastrum tetras 13 0

Scenedesmus bijuga 28 .01

Chrysophyta

Mallomonas producta 464 .12

Cryptophyta

Cryptomonas spp. 7,220 1.88

Rhodomonas minuta 3,170 .82

Table 28. Phytoplankton taxa, biovolume, and relative percentage abundance in water from Lake Olathe near dam (site 2), 

northeast Kansas, 2000–02. 

[μm3/mL, cubic micrometers per milliliter of water]

Sampling site (fig. 1) Date

(month/day/year) Taxa Biovolume

(μm3

/mL)

Relative 

percentage 

abundance

—Continued
Supplemental Information 93

Site 3 (epilimnion)—Continued 7/23/2002 Euglenophyta

Euglena spp. 10,300 2.67

Phacus spp. 520 .13

Trachelomonas spp. 6,140 1.59

Pyrrophyta

Ceratium hirundinella 92 .02

Peridinium spp. 34 .01

Site 2 (hypolimnion) 7/23/2002 Cyanophyta

Aphanocapsa delicatissima 129 .37

Aphanocapsa spp. 2,080 6.07

Lyngbya limnetica 5,360 15.6

Oscillatoria sp. 24,900 72.3

Psuedoanabaena spp. 1,920 5.60

Site 3 (epilimnion) 7/24/2002 Bacillariophyta

Cymbella sp. 246 .07

Gomphonema sp. 18 0

Melosira granulata 7,650 2.23

Melosira sp. 6,140 1.79

Synedra delicattissima 34,100 9.93

Synedra spp. 231,000 67.3

Chlorophyta

Ankistrodesmus falcatus 1,280 .37

Chlamydomonas spp. 35,300 10.3

Cosmarium spp. 792 .23

Euastrum sp. 32 .01

Eudorina elegans 59 .02

Pandorina morum 768 .22

Scenedesmus sp. 25 .01

Staurastrum spp. 737 .21

Chrysophyta

Mallomonas producta 16 0

Cryptophyta

Cryptomonas spp. 9,550 2.78

Cyanophyta

Anabaena spp. 5 0

Coelosphaerium maegleianum 347 .10

Merismopedia elegans 4 0

Euglenophyta

Euglena spp. 2,410 .70

Trachelomonas spp. 11,500 3.35

Pyrrophyta

Ceratium hirundinella 1,430 .41

Table 28. Phytoplankton taxa, biovolume, and relative percentage abundance in water from Lake Olathe near dam (site 2), 

northeast Kansas, 2000–02. 

[μm3/mL, cubic micrometers per milliliter of water]

Sampling site (fig. 1) Date

(month/day/year) Taxa Biovolume

(μm3

/mL)

Relative 

percentage 

abundance

—Continued
94 Surface-Water-Quality Conditions and Relation to Taste-and-Odor Occurrences in the Lake Olathe Watershed, Northeast 

Kansas, 2000–02

Site 2 (epilimnion) 9/6/2002 Bacillariophyta

Cyclotella meneghiniana 240 0.08

Melosira granulata 90 .03

Synedra spp. 82,800 28.0

Chlorophyta

Chlamydomonas spp. 174,000 58.7

Crucigenia crucifera 402 .13

Pandorina morum 41 .01

Scenedesmus bijuga 102 .03

Cryptophyta

Cryptomonas spp. 10,100 3.41

Cyanophyta

Aphanizomenon flos-aquae 15 0

Merismopedia elegans 4 0

Euglenophyta

Euglena acus 2,840 .96

Euglena spp. 1,610 .54

Trachelomonas girardiana 828 .28

Trachelomonas hispida 4,890 1.65

Trachelomonas spp. 14,400 4.86

Pyrrophyta

Glenodinium sp. 1,140 .38

Gymnodinium sp. 56 .02

Peridinium spp. 2,530 .85

Site 2 (hypolimnion) 9/6/2002 Bacillariophyta

Achnanthes spp. 582 1.51

Synedra delicattissima 2,410 6.28

Synedra spp. 2,840 7.40

Chlorophyta

Ankistrodesmus falcatus 40 .10

Pediastrum simplex 59 .15

Scenedesmus arcuatus 53 .14

Cyanophyta

Aphanocapsa delicatissima 945 2.46

Aphanocapsa spp. 383 1.00

Aphanothece sp. 343 .89

Lyngbya sp. 1,840 4.80

Oscillatoria anguina 81 .21

Oscillatoria sp. 1,430 3.72

Euglenophyta

Euglena spp. 27,400 71.3

Table 28. Phytoplankton taxa, biovolume, and relative percentage abundance in water from Lake Olathe near dam (site 2), 

northeast Kansas, 2000–02. 

[μm3/mL, cubic micrometers per milliliter of water]

Sampling site (fig. 1) Date

(month/day/year) Taxa Biovolume

(μm3

/mL)

Relative 

percentage 

abundance

—Continued
Supplemental Information 95

Site 2 (epilimnion) 10/30/2002 Bacillariophyta

Cyclotella sp. 5,960,000 6.39

Fragilaria sp 3,420,000 3.67

Melosira granulata 2,180,000 2.33

Melosira sp. 5,840,000 6.26

Synedra sp. 3,380,000 3.63

Synedra ulna 360,000 .38

Chlorophyta

Chlamydomonas sp. 26,600,000 28.5

Coelastrum microporum 42,200 .04

Elaktothrix viridis 96,000 .10

Scenedesmus sp. 10,600 .01

Tetrastrum sp. 180,000 .19

Cryptophyta

Cryptomonas sp. 2,220,000 2.38

Cyanophyta

Anabaenopsis sp. 339,000 .36

Lyngbya limnetica 1,720,000 1.84

Pseudanabaena sp. 226,000 .24

Euglenophyta

Euglena sp. 640,000 .69

Phacus sp. 1,230,000 1.32

Trachelomonas girardiana 1,210,000 1.29

Trachelomonas hispida 4,180,000 4.48

Trachelomonas spp. 28,800,000 30.8

Trachelomonas volvocina 4,650,000 4.98

Table 28. Phytoplankton taxa, biovolume, and relative percentage abundance in water from Lake Olathe near dam (site 2), 

northeast Kansas, 2000–02. 

[μm3/mL, cubic micrometers per milliliter of water]

Sampling site (fig. 1) Date

(month/day/year) Taxa Biovolume

(μm3

/mL)

Relative 

percentage 

abundance

—Continued