Fecal Analysis of the Goose Creek Watershed in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
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2013-12
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Klingler, Jason. Master of Environmental Assessment. Fecal Analysis of the Goose Creek Watershed in Mecklenburg County North Carolina.
The Goose Creek Watershed is located in Southeastern Mecklenburg County and is found almost entirely within the town limits or extraterritorial jurisdiction of Mint Hill. This specific watershed has been designated a habitat for the federally listed, critically endangered Carolina Heelsplitter Mussel. This designation has brought about the implementation of a Site Specific Management Plan and the municipalities in the watershed were also required to develop a Water Quality Recovery Program for Fecal Coliform, which was the result of a Fecal Coliform TMDL(Total Maximum Daily Load).
During the implementation of the local Water Quality Recovery Plan for Goose Creek, the level of Fecal Coliform Bacteria tapered off, resulting in Goose Creek being removed from a TMDL. The resulting drop in Fecal Bacteria also correlated directly with The Great Recession and stoppage of literally every construction project in the watershed. As the economy has improved, it has driven an increase in development once again. Sediment levels have started to increase in the watershed, and new septic systems are being installed on a dynamic subsurface that straddles two distinctly different underlying substrates. The possible combination of these factors has once again led to an increase in Fecal levels in the watershed. My investigation is focused on the sediments creating a Fecal Bacteria reservoir within the stream, allowing the bacteria to propagate within the waters, instead of actually being added by a non point source. The geological composition of the underlying soils may also be allowing for a short circuit of the septic system, allowing Fecal latent water to flow through rock fissures directly adding to water recharge of the stream.
