Escherichia Coli Concentrations in Recreational Streams and Backcountry Drinking-Water Supplies in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, 2005–2006
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Prepared in cooperation with the National Park Service Escherichia coli Concentrations in Recreational Streams and Backcountry Drinking-Water Supplies in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, 2005–2006 Scientific Investigations Report 2007–5160 Cover. White Oak Run in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia (photograph taken by Kenneth E. Hyer, U.S. Geological Survey). Escherichia coli Concentrations in Recreational Streams and Backcountry Drinking-Water Supplies in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, 2005–2006 By Kenneth E. Hyer Prepared in cooperation with the National Park Service Scientific Investigations Report 2007–5160 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior DIRK KEMPTHORNE, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Mark D. Myers, Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2007 For product and ordering information: World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment: World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report. Suggested citation: Hyer, K.E., 2007, Escherichia coli concentrations in recreational streams and backcountry drinking-water supplies in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, 2005–2006: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2007–5160, 18 p. (available online at http://pubs.water.usgs.gov/sir2007-5160 ) iii Contents Abstract ...........................................................................................................................................................1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................1 Purpose and Scope ..............................................................................................................................2 Description of the Study Area ............................................................................................................2 Study Design and Sample Collection .........................................................................................................4 Selection and Sampling of Sites for the Evaluation of Recreational Activities on E. coli Concentrations .......................................................................................................4 Selection and Sampling of Drinking-Water Supply Sites ...............................................................6 Sampling of Wastewater-Treatment Plants .....................................................................................6 Analytical Technique for E. coli ..........................................................................................................7 Evaluating the Effect of Recreational Activities on E. coli Concentrations .........................................8 Low-Flow Conditions ............................................................................................................................8 Stormflow Conditions .........................................................................................................................10 Pinefield Hut Samples ........................................................................................................................12 E. coli Concentrations in Backcountry Drinking-Water Supplies ........................................................15 Water Quality of Wastewater-Treatment Plant Releases .....................................................................16 Summary and Conclusions .........................................................................................................................16 Acknowledgments .......................................................................................................................................18 Literature Cited .............................................................................................................................................18 Figures 1. Map showing Shenandoah National Park in Virginia .............................................................3 2. Map showing sampling sites in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, 2005–2006 ...................................................................................................................5 3. Graph showing analytical results of sequential replicate Escherichia coli samples, plotted relative to a 1:1 line, from streams in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, 2005–2006 ...................................................................................................................7 4–6. Box plots showing Escherichia coli concentrations in streamwater at: 4. Low-flow conditions at 10 sites in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, 2005 ..................................................................................................................9 5. Low-flow conditions at 10 sites in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, 2006 ................................................................................................................10 6. Low-flow and stormflow conditions in the control and recreational basins of Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, 2005–2006 ................................................11 7. Generalized map of the Pinefield Hut site in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia .....................................................................................................................................12 8. Box plots showing Escherichia coli concentrations in streamwater at low-flow conditions at the Pinefield Hut site in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, 2006 .......14 iv Tables 1. Sampling sites for evaluating the effects of recreational activities on Escherichia coli concentrations in surface waters of Shenandoah National Park in Virginia ..............................................................................................................................4 2. Sampling sites for the evaluation of drinking-water supplies in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia ..............................................................................................................6 3. Median Escherichia coli concentrations during low-flow and stormflow conditions and the number of samples collected at each stream site in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia ......................................................................................8 4. Sampling dates and Escherichia coli concentrations associated with the Pinefield Hut site in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, 2006 ......................................13 5. Median Escherichia coli concentrations and the number of samples collected for the evaluation of drinking-water supplies in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, 2005–2006 .................................................................................................................15 6. Escherichia coli concentrations, physical properties, and wastewater organic- compound concentrations in samples from three wastewater-treatment plant outfalls in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, and the endocrine-disrupting potential of each wastewater organic compound detected ...............................................17 Conversion Factors Multiply By To obtain Length foot (ft) 0.3048 meter (m) mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer (km) Area square mile (mi2) 2.590 square kilometer (km2) Volume gallon (gal) 3.785 liter (L) Flow cubic foot per second (ft3/s) 0.02832 cubic meter per second (m3/s) Temperature in degrees Celsius (°C) may be converted to degrees Fahrenheit (°F) as follows: °F = (1.8 × °C) + 32 Horizontal coordinate information is referenced to the North American Datum of 1927 (NAD 27). Altitude, as used in this report, refers to distance above the vertical datum. Specific conductance is given in microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius (µS/cm at 25 °C). Concentrations of chemical constituents in water are given either in milligrams per liter (mg/L) or micrograms per liter (µg/L). E. coli concentrations are reported in units of colonies per 100 milliliters of water (col/100 mL). Escherichia coli Concentrations in Recreational Streams and Backcountry Drinking-Water Supplies in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, 2005–2006 By Kenneth E. Hyer Abstract The sampling results from drinking-water supplies throughout Shenandoah National Park indicated relatively Although fecal contamination of streams is a problem low E. coli concentrations in all springs that were sampled. of national scope, few investigations have been directed at Several of the streams that were sampled had slightly higher relatively pristine streams in forested basins in national parks. E. coli concentrations relative to the springs, but no E. coli With approximately 1.8 million visitors annually, Shenandoah concentrations exceeded the instantaneous water-quality National Park in Virginia is subject to extensive recreational standard. Although E. coli concentrations in all the drinking- use. The effects of these visitors and their recreational water supplies were relatively low, Shenandoah National Park activities on fecal indicator bacteria levels