Data from rainfall simulation experiments conducted in Arizona and New Mexico were used to identify relationships between total suspended sediment (TSS) concentrations (kg/ha/mm of runoff) in runoff and concentrations (kg/ha/mm of runoff) of total phosphorus (TP), total volatile suspended sediment (TVSS), and total nitrogen (TN). The units of kg/ha/mm of runoff are equivalent to mg/l divided by 100. Data were collected from pinyon-juniper, ponderosa pine, short grass prairie, creosote bush, and bottomland vegetation types. Lumping data from these five vegetation types yielded a relationlship for total phosphorus of TP = 0.0013(TSS)0.83 with a linear correlation coefficient of r = 0.77. The relationship for total volatile suspended sediment was TVSS = 0.274(TSS)0.72 (r = 0.91). A poor relationship was found for total nitrogen with TN = 0.008(TSS)0.15 (with r = 0.11). These relationships were validated using data from other rainfall simulation experiments and naturally occurring ephemeral streamflow in southern New Mexico.