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Water-quality assessment: Bacterial and viral-fecal indicators in an impaired urban watershed, Turkey Creek
Citation:
Friedman, S., A. Blackwell, E. Cooper, M. Elliott, P. Lee, C. Mills, A. Parisi, AND T. Pierce. Water-quality assessment: Bacterial and viral-fecal indicators in an impaired urban watershed, Turkey Creek. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-19/195, 2020.
Impact/Purpose:
This report applies bacterial and viral markers of fecal pollution to elucidate impairment issues along an urban watershed, Turkey Creek, in Gulfport, MS
Description:
This final report summarizes the activities and research conducted under RARE project number 1771 for the urban impaired watershed, Turkey Creek, with a cooperative study between the ORD Gulf Ecosystem Measurement and Modeling Division (GEMMD), Gulf Breeze, FL, and the Gulf of Mexico Division (GMD) in Gulfport, MS. The study encompasses the period from October 1, 2016 to September 29, 2018, with subsequent project data analyses occurring from October 1, 2018 to September 2019. The project encompassed educational training and outreach within the local Gulfport community as project staff mentored and trained citizens’ scientists that included college students and local community volunteers in water-quality collection, fecal-bacteria enumeration and processing environmental waters for nutrient analyses. A major component of this study was identification of fecal-viruses, particularly male-specific RNA viruses (FRNA coliphages) as an indicator of pollution source (human and/or animal). During the final year, water samples were tested for specific bacterial human-markers of fecal contamination. Land-scape/land-cover analysis was applied using GIS, sewage-line maps, manholes, wastewater-treatment plant locations and lift-station locations to assess any potential point-source into Turkey Creek. Various nutrients were analyzed to evaluate linkages between nutrient concentrations and E. coli enumeration to assess any potential drivers as contributing sources. Two stations out of four along the Turkey Creek watershed appear to be impacted by human sewage by point-source contamination, whereas the remaining stations were impacted most likely due to run-off. Recommendations for applying dye tracers to pinpoint the contamination issues were addressed in this report.