Water Parameter Rating ScalesThis section describes the ranges for each water quality parameter that are used in the informal red River water quality rating scale developed by FM River. Total Organic Carbon | Total Dissolved Solids | Total Suspended Solids Transparency | Turbidity | Water Temperature Alkalinity
Alkalinity is the measure of the substances dissolved in the water that "buffer" or resist a change in pH when acid is added. Stable pH is important to fish and other aquatic life in the river. Alkalinity of 100 to 200 mg/L is sufficient to "buffer" or neutralize incoming acids and provide for stable pH. The FM River rating system considers 0 to 100 mg/L alkalinity as Poor (low resistance to a change in pH), 100 to 150 Fair (adequate resistance to a change in pH), and over 150 as Good. Alkalinity in the Red River is usually in the Good range all year. Learn more
Ammonia
Ammonia is a form of nitrogen that is an important nutrient for aquatic plants and algae. At the temperature and pH of most rivers, ammonia occurs in a harmless form but at higher temperatures or higher pH, ammonia changes to a gas, a form harmful to fish and other aquatic life. In the Red River, the pH is near neutral and stable (see alkalinity, pH). However, the temperature of water in the river can reach over 25ºC (77ºF) in the summer, enough to significantly increase the potential for the change from harmless ammonia to ammonia gas. The FM River rating scale considers ammonia gas formation potential low from 0º to 20ºC (conditions are Good), moderate in warm water (20º to 30ºC) (conditions are Fair), and High in very warm water (above 30ºC; conditions are Poor). Conditions for ammonia are rated as Good for the Red River in the winter, spring, and fall and Fair for ammonia (higher potential for ammonia to be changed to ammonia gas) in the summer. Learn more
Dissolved Oxygen
Fish and other aquatic animals need oxygen to breathe. Fish are put under stress when dissolved oxygen falls below 5 mg/L and, fish kills can result if dissolved oxygen falls below 2 mg/L. Cold water can hold more dissolved oxygen than warm water. The FM River rating scale considers dissolved oxygen levels from 0 to 5 mg/L as Poor, from 5 to 8 as Fair, and above 8 as Good. The dissolved oxygen in the Red River is Good in the winter, Good to Fair in the spring and fall, and Fair to Poor in the summer. Learn more.
Fecal Bacteria
Fecal bacteria are harmless. Because they live in the same portion of the human and animal intestinal tract as disease-causing microorganisms and they occur with these organisms in feces, they are used as an indicator of organic pollution from sources like sewage outflows, septic tanks, and feedlots. In North Dakota and Minnesota, a limit of 200 fecal bacteria organisms per 100 mL of water has been set for safe recreational use (swimming, boating) of waters by humans. The FM River rating system considers levels from 0 to 150 Good, from 150 to 200 Fair, and over 200 as Poor. The Red River is generally in the Good to Fair range. Authorities issue alerts when levels exceed 200 organisms per mL. Learn more
Hardness
Hardness is a measure of the concentration of certain types of minerals in water. The FM River rating system considers levels from 0 to 50 mg/L as Soft (rated as Good), from 50 to 200 mg/L Moderately Hard to Hard (rated as Fair), and above 200 mg/L as Very Hard (rated as Poor). Based on FM River monitoring, the water in the Red River is Very Hard all year round. Hardness does not pose a health risk for humans or aquatic life. The water treatment plants reduce the hardness of the water. This "softening" is done to prevent mineral deposits in plumbing and to make the water work better with detergents and soaps. Learn more
Nitrite-Nitrate
Nitrite and nitrate are sources of nitrogen, an important nutrient for plants and algae. Nitrate levels above 10 mg/L promote excessive plant growth and decomposition (affects the health of aquatic organisms by decreasing the level of dissolved oxygen in the water), and excessive nitrate in drinking water can cause "blue baby" syndrome in newborns. The FM River rating scale considers levels of nitrite + nitrate from 0 to 1 mg/L as Good, from 1 to 10 mg/L as Fair, and over 10 mg/L as Poor. Based on FM River monitoring, the Red River water is in the Good range year round. Learn more.
pH
pH, expressed on a scale from 1 to 14, describes the acidity or alkalinity of water. A pH of 7 is neutral. Values below 7 are acidic, and values above 7 are said to be basic or alkaline. Fish do best in waters with a pH between 6.5 and 8.4. Fish are harmed if pH becomes too acidic (falls below 4.8) or too alkaline (goes above 9.2). The FM River rating scale designates a pH between 6.5 and 8.4 as Good, between 4.8 and 6.5 and between 8.4 and 9.2 as Fair, and below 4.8 and above 9.2 as Poor. The pH of the Red River is very stable (due in part to the dissolved carbonate minerals in the water, see Alkalinity) and is in the Good range year round. Learn more.
Phosphorus
Phosphorus is an important nutrient for plants and algae. High levels of phosphorus can stimulate excessive growth and ultimately create excessive volumes of decomposing plan material (decaying material reduces oxygen levels in the water and this can harm fish and other aquatic life). Regulatory authorities have determined that phosphorus levels above 0.1 mg/L can harm the aquatic environment. The FM River rating scale designates phosphorus levels from 0 to
0.05 mg/L as Good, from 0.05 to 0.1 mg/L as Fair, and above 0.1 mg/L as Poor. FM River sampling indicates that phosphorus levels in the Red River are relatively high, occurring in the Poor range year round. Learn more.
Total Organic Carbon
Total organic carbon (TOC) is a measure of the organic material, both natural (for example, decaying plant and animal material) or human (petroleum products and organic chemicals). TOC in the Red River is dominated by naturally occurring organic material or NOM. TOC (as NOM) averages around 6 mg/L in rivers in the U.S. NOM can react with chlorine in water treatment plants to form harmful disinfectant by-products in drinking water. FM River's rating scale designates TOC levels of 0 to 5mg/L as Good, 5 to 7mg/L as Fair, and above 7mg/L as Poor. FM River monitoring indicates that TOC is typically in the Poor range (between 8 and 10 mg/L) for the Red River. The local water treatment plants closely monitor TOC to control the levels of disinfection by-products and to ensure safe drinking water for the community. Learn more.
Total Dissolved Solids
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) is mainly a measure of the minerals dissolved in water. Fresh water has a maximum TDS of 2000 mg/L (0.2% dissolved materials) compared to
35,0000 mg/L TDS for seawater (3.5% dissolved materials). A TDS of 500 mg/L or less is suggested for drinking water based on taste. The FM River rating scale designates 0 to 500 mg/L TDS as Low (rated as Good), 500 to 1000 as Medium (rated as Fair), and 1000 to 2000 as High (rated as Poor). Based on FM River monitoring, the TDS levels in the Red River are in the Good range year round. Learn more.
Total Suspended Solids
Total suspended solids (TSS) is a measure of the material that is suspended in the water. The FM River rating scale designates 0 to 50 mg/L as Low (rated as Good) TSS, 50 to 100 as Medium (rated as Fair) , and over 100 as High (rated as Poor). FM River monitoring indicates that TSS is in the range for a Good rating in the winter, spring, and fall, but gets a Fair to Poor rating in the summer. Most TSS in the Red River is sediment from runoff and bank erosion and makes the water look muddy. Learn more.
Transparency
Transparency (sometimes called clarity) is a measure of how far light can travel through water. Transparency is measured in centimeters (cm), and the FM River rating scale designates 0 to
20 cm as Poor (low clarity), 20 to 40 cm as Fair (moderate clarity), and over 40 cm (high clarity) as Good. The Red River has Poor transparency in the summer and Fair to Good transparency in the winter, fall, and spring. Learn more.
Turbidity
Turbidity measures the murkiness of the water. Turbidity is measured in NTUs. The more murky the water the higher the turbidity. The FM River rating scale designates 0 to 30 NTUs as Good (low murkiness), 30 to 60 as Fair (moderate murkiness), and over 60 as Poor (high murkiness). The Red River is rated Good to Fair for turbidity in the winter, fall, and spring and Poor for turbidity in the summer. Turbidity levels in the Red River mainly reflect the amount of sediment suspended in the water. Learn more.
Water Temperature
Cold water can contain a higher concentration of dissolved oxygen than warm water. As the temperature of water of the Red River goes up, it can not hold as much dissolved oxygen. The potential for forming gaseous ammonia also increases with increasing tempature. The FM River rating scale designates 0º - 15ºC (32º-59ºF) as Good, 15º - 25ºC as Fair, and over 25ºC as Poor with respect to the occurence of ammonia and dissolved oxygen in the river environment. The Red River is rated Good in the winter fall and spring and Fair to Poor in the summer, with respect to aquatic temperature conditions. Learn more.
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