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BIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF BEACH, LEACHATE, AND EFFLUENT SITES AT LAKE TEXOMA
Citation:
Gonsoulin*, M E. BIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF BEACH, LEACHATE, AND EFFLUENT SITES AT LAKE TEXOMA. Regional/ORD Training Workshop on Emerging Issues Associated with Aquatic Environmental Pathogens, Ft. Meade, MD, 09/05-07/2001. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, 2001.
Description:
Lake Texoma is a large (93,000 surface acres) and economically important man-made impoundment of the Red and Washita rivers in southern Oklahoma and northern Texas. Usage of Lake Texoma for recreation, real estate, and farming can be very heavy. All of these activities may have an impact on the water quality of the reservoir.
A biological assessment of five beach areas, five leachate areas, and four effluent areas was initiated in June 1999. The target sites are being monitored for total coliform and Escherichia coli (E. coli)on a seasonal basis, in order, to identify potential adverse ecological effects due to natural and human-induced factors. Total coliform and E. coli were determined using the Colilert method as described in Robert S. Kerr standard operating procedures (RSKSOP)-207. Based on preliminary results, total coliform ranged from 17 to 126,030 CFU/100 mL and E. coli ranged from <1 to 233 CFU/100 mL. The highest value for total coliform occurred during the wet weather season and the highest value for E. coli occurred during the dry weather season just after a rain. The high values may have been due to runoff carrying effluent from septic systems or fecal material from wild or domestic animals. A final report will be published in 2002.
This is an abstract of a proposed presentation and does not necessarily reflect EPA policy.