Date of Award
Summer 8-11-2018
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science - Environmental Sciences
Department
Environmental Science
First Advisor
Matthew McBroom
Second Advisor
Kenneth Farrish
Third Advisor
Yanli Zhang
Abstract
In the Attoyac Bayou Watershed Protection Plan, best management practices (BMPs) were developed for livestock, wildlife, and on-site sewage facilities (OSSFs), using bacteria source tracking (BST), spatially explicit load enrichment calculation tool (SELECT) model, as well as a cost benefit analysis. An evaluation of these BMPs was conducted on the Attoyac Bayou (AB), Big Iron Ore Creek (BIO), Naconiche Creek (NC), Terrapin Creek (TC), and Waffelow Creek (WC) to see if they were meeting their designated use criteria for elevated Escherichia coli (E. coli). Water quality parameters were monitored for five sample locations within the Attoyac Bayou Watershed during March 2017 through February 2018. Statistical analyses were conducted on data from this period, and comparisons were made with past data to determine if water quality is improving. Water quality parameters were within standards for all parameters except E. coli, where all sample locations exceeded the state water quality standard for primary contact reaction (126 CFU/100 mL). Subwatersheds with the highest E. coli, nutrient, and sediment loading were BIO, NC, and WC. For all subwatersheds, E. coli mass loading was higher in the winter and spring, with nutrient and sediment mass loading higher in the spring and summer. For measured parameters in this study, mass loading was lower during the fall. ii In order to evaluate BMP efficacy, data were compared to past geometric means to evaluate change over time and data from this study were also compared with target goals. Generally, water quality was improving overall within the BIO subwatershed. Post BMP implementation E. coli mean concentration (264 CFU/100 mL) was significantly lower than pre BMP implementation (430 CFU/100 mL). However, WC had significantly higher E. coli mean concentration for post BMP implementation (360 CFU/100 mL) than pre implementation (106 CFU/100 mL). Even though water quality has not significantly improved within subwatersheds AB, NC, and TC, the fact that continued degradation was not observed is some indication of BMP efficacy. For target goals comparison, NC is the closest to the target goal, with a difference of 23 CFU/100 mL, and WC is the furthest from the target goal, with a difference of 166 CFU/100 mL. Additional monitoring to account for possible lag time, educational awareness, and BMPs, such as new OSSFs installations and a feral hog bounty program, should be implemented to potentially reduce bacteria within the watershed.
Repository Citation
Scott, Cheryl, "THE EFFECTIVENESS OF BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON WATER QUALITY IN THE ATTOYAC BAYOU WATERSHED OF EAST TEXAS" (2018). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 194.
https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/194
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
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