Chemical and Physical Papers. 95 



SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN THE MINERAL CONTENTS 

 OF THE KAW RIVER. 



By F. W. BUSHONG and Archie J. Weith. University of Kansas, Lawrence. 



TTNDER the joint auspices of the State Board of Health and 

 ^ the United States Geological Survey a systematic examination 

 of the river waters of Kansas was begun in November, 1906. Sam- 

 ples were collected daily from all of the larger streams of the state 

 and forwarded to the department of chemistry of the University of 

 Kansas for analysis. The results of these analyses are now being 

 prepared for publication by the United States Geological Survey. 



An examination of the analyses of the Kaw river water made 

 previously by various chemists reveals the fact that the chlorin 

 content is very variable. In a number of cases chemists not resid- 

 ing in the state, and unaware of this fact, have condemned this 

 water on the basis of high chlorin being evidence of sewage con- 

 tamination. While the Kaw is known to be polluted by sewage, 

 the writers do not believe that its chlorin content furnishes any 

 evidence whatever as to the presence or absence of sewage. 



During the year 1907 six maxima were observed in the value of 

 the chlorin in the ten-day composite analyses of water daily col- 

 lected from the Kaw at Holliday. At each of these maxima the 

 number of parts of chlorin per million was sixty or more, while the 

 minimum was as low as eleven parts. An examination of the record 

 of the turbidity of the three tributaries of the Kaw — the Saline, 

 Solomon and Smoky Hill rivers — shows clearly that the maxima 

 referred to are produced by fluctuations in the flow of these saline 

 streams, viz. : 



Periods of maximum turbidity. 01. maxima of the Kaw. 



Smoky Hill, January 18 29 January 29 to February 7. 



Smoky Hill, March 27 to April 7. . . . April 12-23. 



Smoky Hill, May 3-15 May 14-23. 



Saline, June 23 to July 5. 



Solomon, June 27 to July 8 June 30 to July 9. 



Saline, August 16-26 August 29 to September 7. 



Saline, September 29 to October 10. October 9-18. 



Similar variations are observed in the quantities of other con- 

 stituents. 



