Teresa Turk and Carol Bitting - Water Research Presentation

Teresa Turk and Carol Bitting will present the following talk regarding their Buffalo River water quality research, April 25th, at the Boone County Public Library at 5:30pm.

What’s in the Water?   

Results from E. coli and dye tracing investigations from selected tributaries of Big Creek, Newton Co. Arkansas.

Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria normally live in the intestines of humans and warm blooded animals. Some E. coli are pathogenic and can cause illness, either diarrhea or other illness outside of the intestinal tract. Testing for E. coli on primary contact streams where people recreate by swimming or have similar water contact activities where a high degree of bodily contact, immersion and ingestion are likely is conducted throughout the state primarily by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ). ADEQ sets E. coli limits for primary contact during the year.

In 2012, a 6500 head swine confined animal feeding operation called C&H Hog Farm was permitted by ADEQ approximately six miles upstream from the confluence with the Buffalo National River. Citizen scientists began conducting dye tracing studies and collecting water samples to test for E. coli in close proximity to manure application fields and manure holding ponds. This talk will discuss the results and implications from these investigations.