NON-POINT SOURCE FECAL POLLUTION INTO SILVER LAKE, IOWA

  Eric H. O’Brien, Amy Paulus and Edward J. Brown

   The quality of Iowa surface waters is endangered by non-point source (NPS) pollution.  The traditional threat to lakes from NPS is eutrophication and fecal material from domestic animals, birds and other wildlife.  Contamination of surface waters with human pathogens by NPS has been less of a concern until the recent realization that many animals may host human enteric pathogens.  Thus it has become increasingly important to understand the fate and transport of bacteria and, more specifically, enteric bacteria to surface waters from wildlife and domestic animal wastes/manure.

   The objective of the proposed research is to use multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) analysis as a phenotypic typing tool for bacteria isolated from numerous samples in the Silver Lake watershed.  Over 400 fecal coliform isolates were cultured from the Silver Lake watershed during the summer of 2002.  MAR analysis is currently underway.  Results will help to determine the source, distribution and survival of coliform group bacteria found in Silver Lake.