Occurrence and Trends in the Concentrations of Fecal-Indicator Centration, and Turbidity
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Prepared in cooperation with the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority and Allegheny County Health Department Occurrence and Trends in the Concentrations of Fecal- Indicator Bacteria and the Relation to Field Water-Quality Parameters in the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers and Selected Tributaries, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, 2001–09 Scientific Investigations Report 2015–5136 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Occurrence and Trends in the Concen- trations of Fecal-Indicator Bacteria and the Relation to Field Water-Quality Parameters in the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers and Selected Tributaries, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, 2001–09 By John W. Fulton, Edward H. Koerkle, Jamie L. McCoy, and Linda F. Zarr Prepared in cooperation with the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority and Allegheny County Health Department Scientific Investigations Report 2015–5136 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior SALLY JEWELL, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Suzette M. Kimball, Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2016 For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment—visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1–888–ASK–USGS. For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod/. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public domain, it also may contain copyrighted materials as noted in the text. Permission to reproduce copyrighted items must be secured from the copyright owner. Suggested citation: Fulton, J.W., Koerkle, E.H., McCoy, J.L., and Zarr, L.F., 2016, Occurrence and trends in the concentrations of fecal- indicator bacteria and the relation to field water-quality parameters in the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers and selected tributaries, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, 2001–09: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2015–5136, 47 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sir20155136. ISSN 2328-0328 (online) iii Acknowledgments The authors thank Tim Prevost Allegheny County Sanitary Authority and John Schombert (3 Rivers Wet Weather) for collaborating on this project. Steve Corsi (U.S. Geological Survey [USGS]), Daniel Hippe (USGS), Robert Hainly (USGS, retired), Dale Simmons (USGS), and Charles Cravotta (USGS) provided constructive criticism, which improved the quality of the manuscript. v Contents Abstract ...........................................................................................................................................................1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................1 Purpose and Scope ..............................................................................................................................2 Study Area..............................................................................................................................................2 Previous Investigations........................................................................................................................2 Networks .........................................................................................................................................................5 Main-Stem Rivers .................................................................................................................................5 Tributaries ..............................................................................................................................................5 Wet- and Dry-Weather Event Protocols ...........................................................................................5 Wet-Weather Sampling Event Criteria ............................................................................................11 Type A .........................................................................................................................................11 Type B .........................................................................................................................................11 Dry-Weather Sampling Event Criteria .............................................................................................11 Methods.........................................................................................................................................................11 Streamflow Measurement, Water-Quality Sampling, and Laboratory Analyses .....................11 Statistical Analyses ............................................................................................................................12 Occurrence and Trends in Concentrations of Fecal-Indicator Bacteria in Streamflow .................13 Occurrence of Fecal-Indicator Bacteria ...............................................................................13 Allegheny River Basin ......................................................................................................13 Monongahela River Basin ...............................................................................................16 Ohio River Basin ................................................................................................................16 Relations of Concentrations of Fecal-Indicator Bacteria to Other Water-Quality Parameters ....................................................................................................................16 Main-Stem Sites ...............................................................................................................16 Tributary Sites ....................................................................................................................19 Trend Analysis .....................................................................................................................................24 Summary and Conclusions .........................................................................................................................32 References Cited..........................................................................................................................................32 vi Figures 1. Map showing study area and location of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flow-control structures on the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania .................................................................................................................................3 2. Map showing location of U.S. Geological Survey streamgaging stations on the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania ...................4 3. Map showing location of sampling sites and combined sewer overflow locations on the Allegheny River, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania ......................................................6 4. Map showing location of sampling sites and combined sewer overflow locations on the Monongahela River, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania ...............................................7 5. Map showing location of sampling sites and combined sewer overflow locations on the Ohio River, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania ................................................................8 6. Map showing location of precipitation stations near the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania ................................................................10 7. Graph showing streamflow statistics for U.S. Geological Survey streamgaging stations on the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, during dry- and wet-weather events, October 1, 2001, to September 30, 2009 .........................................................................................................................................15 8. Graph showing comparison of Escherichia coli concentrations in composite samples collected during wet- and dry-weather events at U.S. Geological Survey streamgaging station 03049652 on the Allegheny River near Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, 2001–09 .................................................................................................25 9. Graph showing comparison of fecal coliform concentrations in composite samples collected during wet- and dry-weather events at U.S. Geological Survey stream- gaging station 03049652 on the Allegheny River near Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, 2001–09 ...............................................................................................................25 10. Graph showing comparison of Escherichia coli concentrations in composite samples collected during wet- and dry-weather events at U.S. Geological Survey streamgaging station 03049832 on the Allegheny River near Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, 2001–09 .................................................................................................26 11. Graph showing comparison of fecal coliform concentrations in composite samples collected during wet- and dry-weather events at U.S. Geological Survey stream- gaging station 03049832 on the Allegheny River near Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, 2001–09 ...............................................................................................................26