U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet 2008–3090

October 2008

Prepared in cooperation with the Johnson County Stormwater Management Program

Water Quality of Streams in Johnson County, 

Kansas, 2002–07

Printed on recycled paper

Teresa J. Rasmussen

Water quality of streams in Johnson County, Kansas was 

evaluated from October 2002 through December 2007 in a 

cooperative study between the U.S. Geological Survey and 

the Johnson County Stormwater Management Program. Water 

quality at 42 stream sites, representing urban and rural basins, 

was characterized by evaluating benthic macroinvertebrates, 

water (discrete and continuous data), and/or streambed sediment. Point and nonpoint sources and transport were described 

for water-quality constituents including suspended sediment, 

dissolved solids and major ions, nutrients 

(nitrogen and phosphorus), indicator bacteria, pesticides, and organic wastewater and 

pharmaceutical compounds. The information 

obtained from this study is being used by city 

and county officials to develop effective management plans for protecting and improving 

stream quality. This fact sheet summarizes 

important results from three comprehensive 

reports published as part of the study and 

available on the World Wide Web at http://

ks.water.usgs.gov/Kansas/studies/qw/joco/

 Introduction

Rapid population growth and urbanization in Johnson County in northeast Kansas 

has affected stream quality. Urbanization 

results in more residential, commercial, and 

industrial developments, and generally affects 

streams by altering hydrology, geomorphology, chemistry, and biology (Paul and Meyer, 

2001); consequently, these changes affect 

aquatic communities. Contamination entering 

streams in rural and urban areas can originate 

from point sources (such as wastewater treatment discharges) and nonpoint sources (such 

as stormwater runoff, leaky sewer lines, septic tanks, and atmospheric deposition). Water 

quality in Johnson County streams affects 

downstream communities in the Kansas City 

metropolitan area because streams in basins 

covering about one-third of the county flow 

northeast into Missouri. Water quality and 

the effects of combined sewer overflows 

in Kansas City, Missouri, have been the 

subject of previous studies (Wilkison and 

others, 2006). 

Streams in Johnson County are important for human and 

environmental health, water supply, recreation, and aesthetic 

value. The information obtained during this study is useful for 

defining current water-quality conditions, understanding variability in conditions, evaluating effects of urbanization, developing effective water-quality management plans, documenting 

changes in water quality, and evaluating conditions relative 

to total maximum daily loads (TMDLs), National Pollutant 

Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) requirements, and 

water-quality standards. 

Wyandotte County

Cass

County

Johnson

County

Enlarged area

Blue River

South Grand River

Jackson

County

EXPLANATION

Biological and streambed 

 sampling site and level 

 of biological impacts 

 from human disturbance

 High

 

 Moderate 

 Municipal wastewater- Low treatment facility

Water-sampling site

39°05’

39°00’

55’

50’

38°45’

95°00’ 55’ 50’ 45’ 40’ 35’ 94°30’

0 1 2 3 4 5 MILES

0 1 2 3 4 5 KILOMETERS

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1987, 1:100,000

Universal Transverse Mercator Projection

Zone 15

Horizontal coordinate information is referenced to the North American

 Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)

Jackson

County

Johnson County

Wyandotte

County

Leavenworth

County

County

Big Bull Creek

Missouri

Kansas City

metropolitan area

Johnson County

Wyandotte County

Cass

County

Jackson

County

Index map

Kansas River Kansas River

KANSAS

MISSOURI 

Wolf Creek

Coffee Creek

River

Blue

Coffee Creek

Blue

Tomahawk CreekTomahawk Creek

Indian Creek

Dykes Branch

Dykes Branch

Turkey Creek

Turkey Creek

Little Mill Creek

Indian Creek

Little Mill Creek

Mill Creek

Cedar Creek

Captain Creek

Little Bull Creek

B

Wolf Creek

ig Bull Creek

Little Bull Creek

Kill Creek

Mill Creek

Cedar Creek

Captain Creek

Kill Creek

Brush Creek

Clear Creek ar Creek Rock Creek

Rock Creek

Cass County

Missouri

River

Land use

 No data

 Urban 

 Rural (nonurban)

Watershed boundary KANSAS MISSOURI

Figure 1. Location of stream sampling sites, urban and rural land use, and relative 

biological impacts (negative responses associated with human-induced disturbance or 

stress) in Johnson County, Kansas.
Stream quality was evaluated from October 2002 through 

December 2007 using benthic macroinvertebrate, discrete water, 

and streambed sediment samples, and continuous water-quality 

monitoring. Macroinvertebrate samples were collected to assess 

biological conditions, an indication of how well water bodies 

support aquatic life and, therefore, a measure of overall stream 

quality. Macroinvertebrates were collected from 15 stream sites 

in Johnson County and evaluated along with data from seven 

additional sites collected as part of a separate study with similar 

objectives in Missouri (Wilkison and others, 2006). Various 

aspects of macroinvertebrate communities, including organism 

diversity (number and variety of species), composition, tolerance, and feeding characteristics also were used to evaluate and 

compare stream quality. Water samples were collected from 42 

stream sites representing all of the major basins in the county 

(fig. 1, some sites represent multiple sampling locations). Water 

samples were analyzed for suspended sediment, dissolved solids 

and major ions, nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus species), 

indicator bacteria, pesticides, and organic wastewater and pharmaceutical compounds. Samples were collected during baseflow (unaffected by storm runoff, when streamflow is sustained 

by ground-water inflow, springs, and, in some locations, wastewater discharge) and storm-flow conditions. Constituent concentrations, loads (amount of constituent transported in a stream 

during a specified period of time), and yields (load divided by 

drainage area for comparing basins) were determined for five 

major basins of Johnson County using continuous monitoring 

(hourly in-stream measurements) and statistical regression models. Streambed-sediment samples were collected from 15 sites 

and analyzed for major ions, nutrients, trace elements, bacteria, 

pesticides, and organic wastewater compounds. Unless otherwise referenced, the information summarized in this fact sheet 

is included in publications by Lee and others (2005), Poulton 

and others (2007), and Rasmussen and others (2008); additional 

explanation and results can be found in those reports.

 Biological Conditions—An Overview 

 of Stream Quality

•	 During 2003 and 2004 when biological samples were collected, no sites, including the reference site on Captain Creek, 

met State criteria (Kansas Department of Health and Environment, 2006) for full support of aquatic life. Reference streams 

are streams designated by the State as being minimally 

disturbed by human activity, and generally serve as a basis for 

comparison in stream evaluations.

•	 The least impacted stream sites predominantly were in rural 

areas (fig. 1). As impervious surface area (a general indication of urbanization) increased, biological quality generally 

decreased. 

•	 Sites in Johnson County that were least impacted by human 

disturbance included upstream Blue River (fig. 2), Cedar, 

Kill, and Captain Creek sites (fig. 1). Indian, Tomahawk, and 

Turkey Creek sites in Johnson County, and downstream Blue 

River and Brush Creek sites in Missouri were most impacted 

by human disturbance. 

•	 In the Blue River Basin where biological conditions were 

least impacted, biological quality was strongly correlated 

with upstream land cover consisting of forests and grasslands. 

Biological quality declined with increases in impervious 

land cover, nutrient enrichment, and prevalence of organic 

wastewater compounds and pharmaceuticals (Wilkison and 

others, 2006).

 Suspended Sediment

•	 Of the total suspended-sediment load transported in 2005–06, 

90 percent or more occurred during less than 2 percent of the 

time (the equivalent of about 7 days per year), generally during large streamflows, at all five monitoring sites. Therefore, 

management practices designed to control sediment during 

large streamflows can substantially reduce annual loads.

•	 About 35 percent larger average annual precipitation in 2005 

compared to 2006 resulted in an average of four times the 

suspended sediment load.

•	 Annual sediment yields in the urban basins (Indian and Mill 

Creeks) were 50 percent larger than in rural basins (Cedar 

and Kill Creeks, Blue River) in 2005.

•	 About 70 percent of the time (generally when there was little 

or no storm runoff), suspended-sediment concentrations in 

Indian Creek were smaller than in other basins partly because 

of the large contribution of treated water discharged from 

upstream wastewater-treatment facilities. However, total 

annual sediment load and yield in Indian Creek were larger 

than other basins because of disproportional loading that 

occurred during large streamflow at that site.

•	 Sediment transport in Johnson County streams and, therefore, 

management practices implemented to control sediment are 

especially important because other contaminants such as 

nutrients and bacteria frequently are associated with sediment 

particles.

Blue River at

Kenneth Road

Stoneflies

(Plecoptera)

Mayfly

(Ephemeroptera)

Figure 2. Example of a stream site in Johnson County, Kansas, 

showing minimal impacts from human disturbance and some 

macroinvertebrates generally associated with healthy streams 

(macroinvertebrate photographs from http://www.epa.gov/

bioindicators/html/photos_invertebrates.html).
 Nutrients and Dissolved Oxygen

•	 In Johnson County stream reaches during 2005 and 2007, 

about two-thirds of the Indian Creek total nitrogen load and 

one-third of the Blue River total nitrogen load originated 

from wastewater treatment facilities (WWTFs) (fig. 3). Nitrogen from WWTFs primarily occurred in the form of nitrate. 

In 2006, when total annual rainfall was about 65 percent of 

the total rainfall that occurred in 2005 or 2007 (resulting in 

less nonpoint-source nutrient load), total nitrogen originating 

from WWTFs accounted for a larger percentage (about threefourths) of the total load in Johnson County reaches of both 

Indian Creek and the Blue River. Wilkison and others (2006) 

determined that during 2002–04, about 60 percent of the total 

nitrogen and total phosphorus loads in the lower Blue River 

in Missouri originated from Indian Creek.

•	 From March 2004 through December 2007, dissolved oxygen 

(important to sustain aquatic life) was less than the minimum state criterion of 5 milligrams per liter (mg/L) (Kansas 

Department of Health and Environment, 2005) less than 5 

percent of the time at the five continuous monitoring sites 

except Blue River (8 percent) and Indian Creek (15 percent) 

(fig. 4). Low dissolved oxygen concentrations primarily 

occurred during the summer.

 Indicator Bacteria

•	 Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria density at the Indian Creek 

site, located in the most urban basin, was nearly always largest with a median density more than double that of any other 

site. E. coli is used as an indicator of pathogens in streams 

that may cause illness in humans who come into contact with 

the water.

•	 During base flow, the largest bacteria densities occurred 

upstream from WWTFs indicating that wastewater discharges 

generally do not contribute substantially to bacteria densities 

in streams.

•	 During 2005–07, less than 3 percent of the total annual fecal 

coliform bacteria load in Indian Creek and the Blue River 

originated from WWTFs. Wilkison and others (2006) also 

reported that bacteria in streams originated primarily from 

nonpoint sources during storm runoff.

•	 Water-quality conditions in streams often change rapidly during storm runoff. For example, E. coli bacteria density in Kill 

Creek during May 2007 increased from about 180 colonies 

per 100 milliliters of water (col/100mL) to about 100,000 

col/100mL during a 12-hour period (fig. 5). 

 Organic Compounds

•	 Atrazine was detected in nearly all water samples, including 

base-flow samples, and had the largest concentrations of all 

pesticides sampled. Atrazine concentrations, however, did not 

exceed the State chronic aquatic-life criterion of 3.0 micrograms per liter (μg/L) as an annual average (Kansas Department of Health and Environment, 2005).

•	 During base flow, water samples from urban stream sites 

had the largest number of pesticide compounds detected, and 

water samples from rural sites had the largest total concentration of pesticides. 

•	 The largest total concentrations of organic wastewater 

compounds occurred in base-flow samples from sites at or 

immediately downstream from WWTFs. The most common 

compounds were AHTN (acetyl-hexamethyl-tetrahydronapthalene, a musk fragrance), caffeine, DEET (mosquito 

repellant), a detergent surfactant (nonylphenol-diethoxylate), 

and a flame retardant and plasticizer (tris(2-butoxyethyl) 

phosphate), which together comprised more than one-half of 

the total organic wastewater compound concentrations in 80 

percent of the base-flow samples. 

•	 In streambed sediment samples, the largest organic compound concentrations included chlordane (an insecticide 

banned in 1988), dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT, a 

pesticide banned in 1972), and polyaromatic hydrocarbons 

(PAHs, likely carcinogens that originate from combustion of 

fossil fuels and are used as an ingredient in asphalt), and were 

present in urban basins but were not closely linked to WWTF 

discharges.

0

5

10

15

20

25

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

DISSOLVEDOXYGEN CONCENTRATION,

IN MILLIGRA

MSPERLITER(mg/L)

FREQUENCY OF EXCEEDENCE,IN PERCENT

Blue River at Kenneth Road

Cedar Creek near DeSoto

Indian Creek at State Line Road

Kill Creek at 95th Street

Mill Creek at Johnson Drive

Minimum Kansas Department of Health and Environment

(2005) aquatic-life support criterion (5 mg/L) 

Continuous monitoring sites (fig. 1)

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

2005 2006 2007 2005 2006 2007 2005 2006 2007 2005 2006 2007

NUTRIENT LOAD, IN TONS

BLUERIVER INDIANCREEK

TOTAL

NITROGEN

TOTAL

PHOSPHORUS

TOTAL

NITROGEN

TOTAL

PHOSPHORUS

WWTF discharge load

Total downstream load

Figure 3. Annual estimated total nitrogen and total phosphorus 

loads and loads originating from wastewater treatment facility 

(WWTF) discharges in the Blue River and Indian Creek, Johnson 

County, Kansas, 2005–07. WWTF discharges were a primary 

contributor to downstream nutrient loads.

Figure 4. Measured dissolved oxygen (DO) and frequency of 

exceedence (percentage of time a given value is equalled or 

exceeded) at five continuous monitoring sites in Johnson County, 

Kansas, March 2004–December 2007. DO was less than the state 

criterion about 15 percent of the time at the Indian Creek site.
Creek and the Blue River are undergoing major 

upgrades to increase capacity and reduce nutrients 

in discharges to streams. In addition, the information 

is being used for public education about stormwater runoff and water quality. It also is being used to 

enhance and monitor programs to protect streams, 

such as construction runoff controls and stream setback programs. Ongoing monitoring of water quality 

and stream health will provide information about 

trends with time and effectiveness of management 

plans.

 References

Kansas Department of Health and Environment, 

2005, Kansas Administrative Regulations (KAR), 

Title 28, Article 16, Surface water quality standards 2005: Topeka, Kansas, Secretary of State, 

various pagination.

Kansas Department of Health and Environment, 

2006, Kansas section (303(d) list of impaired 

surface waters: Information available on Web, 

accessed April 2007 at http://www.kdheks.gov/

tmdl/methodology.htm

Lee, C.J., Mau, D.P., and Rasmussen, T.J., 2005, Effects of 

point and nonpoint sources on water quality and relation to 

land use in Johnson County, northeastern Kansas, October 

2002 through June 2004: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific 

Investigations Report 2005–5144, 104 p.

Paul, M.J., and Meyer, J.L., 2001, Streams in the urban landscape: Annual Review of Ecological Systems, v. 32, 

p. 333–365.

Poulton, B.C., Rasmussen, T.J., and Lee, C.J., 2007, Assessment of biological conditions at selected stream sites in 

Johnson County, Kansas, and Cass and Jackson Counties, 

Missouri, 2003 and 2004: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific 

Investigations Report 2007–5108, 68 p.

Rasmussen, T.J., Lee, C.J., and Ziegler, A.C., 2008, Estimation 

of constituent concentrations, loads, and yields in streams of 

Johnson County, northeast Kansas, using continuous waterquality monitoring and regression models, October 2002 

through December 2006: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific 

Investigations Report 2008–5014, 103 p. 

Wilkison, D.H., Armstrong, D.J., Norman, R.D., Poulton, B.C., 

Furlong, E.T., and Zaugg, S.D., 2006, Water quality in the 

Blue River Basin, Kansas City metropolitan area, July 1989 

to October 2004: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 06–5147, 170 p.

Publishing support provided by:

Rolla Publishing Service Center

For more information concerning this publication, contact:

Director, USGS Kansas Water Science Center

4821 Quail Crest Place

Lawrence, KS 66049

(785) 842–9909

Or visit the Kansas Water Science Center Web site at:

http://ks.water.usgs.gov

 Additional Factors Affecting Water Quality

•	 Water contaminants including sediment, total nitrogen and 

phosphorus, bacteria, and pesticides (particularly during 

spring) at urban and rural sites originated primarily from nonpoint sources during storm runoff. As a consequence, climate 

(precipitation and resulting runoff) had a substantial effect 

on water quality, and larger amounts of rainfall resulted in 

larger amounts of contaminants. In addition, the probability 

that water-quality criteria are exceeded is substantially larger 

during storm runoff.

•	 Wastewater discharges were the primary source of streamflow 

at sites downstream from WWTFs during base-flow conditions. This is true not just immediately downstream, but many 

miles downstream, from the WWTF. 

•	 About 10 percent of the time chloride concentrations in 

Indian and Mill Creeks were elevated as a result of runoff 

from road salt application; however, the acute aquatic life 

criterion of 860 mg/L (Kansas Department of Health and 

Environment, 2005) was exceeded less than 1 percent of the 

time. 

 Conclusion

Water quality of streams in Johnson County, Kansas, 

varied according to climate (precipitation and resulting runoff 

conditions), degree of urbanization, and contribution from and 

proximity to wastewater discharges. Results from the Johnson 

County water-quality studies generally were consistent with 

results on Blue River water quality reported by Wilkison and 

others (2006). Information from these studies is being used 

by municipal and County officials to address water-quality 

concerns, particularly those related to expected increases in 

population and urban land use leading to additional demands on 

streams. For example, wastewater treatment facilities on Indian 

1

10

100

1,000

10,000

1

2 4 6 8 10 12

10

100

1,000

10,000

100,000

1,000,000

STREAMFLOW, IN CUBIC FEET PER SECOND

ESCHEREICHIA COLI (E. COLI) BACTERIA DENSITY,

IN COLONIES PER 100 MILLILITERS (col/100 mL)

Streamflow

Secondary contact recreation criterion

at any time during the year for a

geometric mean of five 

samples within a 30-day 

period (2,358 col/100 mL) 

Primary contact recreation criterion from

April through October, geometric mean

of five samples within a 30-day period

(262 col/100 mL) 

E. Coli

MAY, 2007

Figure 5. Streamflow and estimated E.coli bacteria density at the Kill Creek 

continuous monitoring site in May 2007. Bacteria density increased from about 

180 col/100 mL to about 100,000 col/100 mL during a 12-hour period.