Water quality impacts of agriculture on karst conduit waters, Greenbrier County, WV
Abstract
Weekly samples were taken beginning in the Fall 1990 from four springs draining two Karst basins to determine the impact of animal grazing agriculture on conduit waters. Atrazine and its metabolites were detected in all springs at low levels 0.2pg/l) during and after the period of application. Mean nitrate levels were 13.6, and 10.8 mg/l from the two basins. Mean bacterial levels for the two respective basins were 101, and 139 colonies per 100 ml for fecal coliform, and 266, and 276 colonies per 100 ml, for fecal streptococcus. Samples were taken from nine sites in cave streams which underlie one of the basins. Mean nitrate levels ranged from 13.4 to 63.7 m u , with three sites above 40 m u , and four below 20 mg/l. Fecal coliforms ranged from 110 to 28,588 colonies per 100 ml. One site, which had the highest nitrates and fecal coliforms, receives flow from a sinkhole which is immediately adjacent to a feedlot on the surface.
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