Bacterial Source Tracking Analysis in Geronimo Creek
G e ro n i m o Creek at Haberl e Road
T h e nearly 7 0- s qua re mil e Ge ronim o a nd Alligat o r Cree k wat e r sh ed lie s in C o m al an d G u adalu p e C o untie s . Al l igator Cree k o r ig inat e s in so ut h ea st e r n Co m a l Co unt y an d f l ow s sou thea s t throug h New Braunfe ls t owa rd s Se guin, jo ining G e ro nim o Cree k abo u t mi dway i n the wate rs hed ( Figure 1). Th e eve r-ex pa nd ing grow t h a nd ra pid co nve r s i o n of op en sp ace i nto urb a n us e s pos e an inc rea sing ly signif ica nt st re ss o n wat e r q u al i t y i n G eroni mo and Al l igator cree ks . Since 2 006 , G e ro nim o Cree k h a s b ee n l i s t ed o n t h e Tex a s 303(d ) list d ue t o e levat ed E . c o l i b a ct e r ia co nce nt rat io ns a nd nu t r i e nt e nr ic h m e nt co nce r ns fo r ni t rat e -ni t ro ge n . To a d d re ss t h e se issue s, a Wat e r sh ed Pro t ect i o n Pla n (W PP) wa s d eve lo ped , a nd since i t s a cce pt a nce by t h e E nviro nm e nt a l P ro t ect i o n Age ncy in 2 008, i t h a s guid ed pub li c o u t reac h a nd ed ucat io n e f fo r t s t o re st o re a n d p ro t ect wat e r qua li t y in G e ro nim o a nd Allig at o r C ree ks . Agr iL ife E x t e nsio n, G BR A, a nd Tex a s St at e S o i l a nd Wat e r Co nse r vat io n B o a rd co nt i n u e t o fa c ili t at e t h e im ple m e nt at io n of t h e G e ro n i m o a nd Alligat o r Cree k s W PP. O ne of t h e m o s t rece nt a nd signif ica nt a c h ieve m e nt s of t hi s co llect ive st ewa rd sh ip e f fo r t wa s t he B act e r i al So urce Tra c k ing Ana ly sis (B ST) co n d u ct ed t o b et t e r und e r st a nd t h e so urce s of t h e bact e r i al im pa ir m e nt in G e ro nim o Cree k .
F igu re 1: Water Sa m p lin g Loc a t ion s in t he G e roni m o a n d Alli ga t or Cre e ks Wa t e r she d
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2022 B A S I N H I G H L I G H T S R E P O R T
O ve r fro m Ro a d we re
a o ne -yea r t im e pe r io d , wat e r s am p l e s t wo lo cat io ns a lo ng t h e c ree k – Habe rl e a nd Se guin O ut d o o r L ea r ning C e nt e r co llect ed eve r y m o nt h a nd a n aly zed t o
