Volunteers cover 500 sites across eight basins

Eight Watershed Watch projects in Kentucky conducted a special sampling project to study fecal coliform levels in streams and rivers in the Kentucky, Salt, Licking, Upper Cumberland, Upper Green, Tradewater-Lower Green and "Four Rivers" River basins. This summarizes the effort with the hope that others may duplicate the project in their area.
  • Year 2001 combined data report of Fecal Coliform results. (555kb html file)
  • Year 2001 combined data report of Fecal Coliform results. (64kb pdf file)
  • Year 2000 combined data report of Fecal Coliform results.
  • 1999 Combined data report of Fecal Coliform results.

    • Scientific Advisory Panels Direct Study

    Each basin convened an ad-hoc panel of scientific advisors. Advisors were university and agency experts that developed scientific study plans for the eight major river basins. Fecal Coliform testing was recommended by these groups as part of the comprehensive study by volunteer teams.
  • Licking River Basin Scientific Study Plan
  • Salt River Basin Scientific Study Plan
  • Upper Cumberland River Basin Scientific Study Plan
  • Four Rivers Scientific Study Plan
  • Big Sandy River Basin Project
  • Upper Green River Basin Scientific Study Plan
  • Tradewater-Lower Green River Basin Scientific Study Plan

    Volunteer Teams Provided Materials and Instructions

    Sampling materials were shipped via UPS to volunteers in the project. Volunteers had already participated in a day long training workshop preparing them for this and other monitoring projects. Materials included:

    Samples Collected

    Jim Dettinger of Letcher County Kentucky collected a sample from Cram Creek. Volunteers went to pre-arranged sites on specific sampling days. There were over 500 sites visited by volunteers in the three river basins.

    Samples Processed and collected by "runners"

    Doug Epling transfers samples taken in the Perry Co. Ky area.Don Henry of the Clark Co. Conservation District and District staff complete field testing. Mike Mattox of the Gateway District Health Department fills out Chain of Custody records during transfer.

    Samples taken to professional labs

    Volunteer and CTI Employee Jeff Lee brings samples in to Commonwealth Technology labs in Lexington.
    		Lauri Holder checks in samples from Paul Russel from Pond Creek in Jefferson Co.
    Cheryl Bersaglia of Jackson County traveled from McKee to Manchester and to the lab in Lexington with her samples Beverly Juett and Bill McGowan of Midway College Science Dept. delivered samples from Elkhorn Creek and Dix River.
    Steve Rudd of the Magoffin Co. Health Department checks his samples in at Morehead State University Science Students from Fleming County High School under the leadership of Charles Masters deliver their samples to the Lab at Morehead State University
    Russ Barnett watches Tina Montgomery, Kevin Smith and Ralph Reiss at the University of Louisville Life Sciences Labs prepare samples for analysis Rita from Morehead State University's Water Quality Lab runs samples from the Licking River.
    Samples are filtered and incubated in petri dishes with a specific nutrient medium for growing Fecal Coliform bacteria Colonies grow after 24 hours and turn blue. The number of colonies are counted to get the results. How many dark blue colonies do you see on this plate?

    Results of Analysis Shared with Volunteers

    The results are distributed to volunteers and participating organizations by mail and on the World Wide Web. here are the draft results reports as received from the labs.
  • Licking River 1998 Test Results
  • Kentucky River 1998 Test Results
  • Salt River 1998 Test Results
  • Four Rivers 1999 Test Results
    David Wicks of the Salt River Watershed Watch Steering Committee ran the grill at a celebratory picnic after the sampling run.
    		 Everyone enjoyed the evening at Black Acre State Nature Preserve "Fecal Fest".
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