the upper altamaha initiative:
fall 2008
best management practices for the reduction of fecal coliform in carr's branch
Student: Daniel Stull
In 1999, Carr's Branch in Athens-Clarke County, GA was placed on the State 303 (d) list for bacteria, pH, and sediments that prevented its intended use of fishing. In Spring 2008, the Upper Altamaha Practicum at the University of Georgia sampled water from various locations throughout Carr's Branch in an attempt to identify point sources. Northeast Georgia Livestock, a cattle sale barn whose ditches drain into Carr's Branch, was identified as a source of high levels of fecal coliform bacteria during rain water events. In order to comply with EPA standards and the Clean Water Act, best management practices will be needed to reduce the fecal coliform that are being introduced into Carr's Branch from this facility. A tour of the facility and samples taken of the water on site and the ditch into which these waters drain will aid identifying the most appropriate best management practice or suite of practices for the site. Manure piles placed closely to the roadway ditch and a shallow pond with large algal blooms and a host of geese are primary areas of concern. There may also be fecal coliform input from a trailer park and the septic tanks of the residents upstream from NEGL but future testing will be required to document this.
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