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This table captures common units used within water datasets. A brief description of the columns is provided below:

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Category

Measurement Type

Units

Data Types

Notes

Quantity

Depth

feet (ft)

Lake/Reservoir levels

GW levels

GW levels are usually below measuring point accompanied by elevation of measuring point and elevation above ground of measuring point-could look at the parameters in USGS NWIS to spell out every last detail

Quantity

Depth

inches (in)

millimeters (mm)

Precipitation

Evapotranspiration

Quantity

Area

acres (ac)

Lake/Reservoirs

Consistent with court adjudication documents as well

Quantity

Volume

acre-Feet (af-ct)

Reservoir volume

accompanied by area-capacity table

Quantity

Volume

volumetric moisture content

Soil moisture

Quantity

Rate

cubic feet per second (CFS; ft^3/sec)

streamflow (instantaneous)

Quantity

Rate

millimeters per day (mm/day)

feet/year (ft/yr)

Evapotranspiration

Quantity

Rate

watts per square meter (W/m^2)

Potential Evapotranspiration

Quantity

Rate

acre-feet per year (ac-ft/yr)

Water use

Rights, diversions, withdrawals, consumptive use, return flows, discharges, point of diversions, transfers, …

Quality

pH

standard units (S.U.)

Quality

Temperature

degree C (deg C)

Quality

Dissolved Oxygen

milligrams per liter (mg/L)

percentage (%)

Quality

Conductance

uS/cm (microSiemens/centimeter)

at degrees 25 C for specific conductance

Conductance

Specific Conductance

can be converted to specific conductance if you have temperature info

Quality

Turbidity

Nephelometric turbidity unit (NTU)

percentage (%)

DWStds will capture percentage of time turbidity is below the thresholds

Quality

Concentration

parts per billion (ppb) or micrograms per liter (ug/l)

parts per million (ppm) or milligrams per liter (mg/l)

Trace metals

Major Ions

Organics

Quality

Concentration

binary (presence = 1, absence = 0)

Biological parameters

Quality

Concentration

percentage (%)

Quality

Concentration

picocuries per Liter (pCi/L)

Radionuclides: Radium, Gross Alpha, and Gross Beta Particle Activity

Quality

Concentration

million fibers per Liter (MFL)

Asbestos

Quality

Concentration

colony forming units (cfu)

most probable number (mpn)

Coliform

Metadata

Biological/Habitat Parameters

Slope

Can add others to this list

Metadata

Biological/Habitat Parameters

Shade

Metadata

Age - Dating

Carbon-14

Metadata

Location

UTM easting and Northing (UTM Zone 13, NAD83)

Latitude

Longitude

Metadata

Well Status

Categorical Information (e.g., Permitted, active, capped, plugged, etc.)