Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2008WA248B

Assessing Pathogen Fate and Transport through Riparian Buffers in an Agricultural Watershed

Institute: Washington
Year Established: 2008 Start Date: 2008-03-01 End Date: 2009-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $24,964 Total Non-Federal Funds: $49,984

Principal Investigators: Jeffrey Ullman, Karen Killinger, Joan Wu

Abstract: Pathogens that enter surface waters through nonpoint sources represent a critical issue facing agricultural sustainability in Washington, as bacterial loads from diffuse sources inhibit beneficial uses and present a significant human health risk. Riparian buffers represent a Best Management Practice (BMP) that can exclude livestock from surface waters and limit off-site transport of nonpoint source pollutants. However, pathogen fate and transport processes in environmental systems remain largely uncertain. This project partners an inter-disciplinary team of researchers with a local conservation district to examine the fate and transport of pathogens at various spatial scales. Laboratory studies will provide data on pathogen attachment and survivability in soils and vegetation inherent to riparian buffers. Field-scale and watershed-scale studies will produce a targeted evaluation of pathogen movement in riparian buffers which will help clarify uncertain processes at larger scales. This information, used in conjunction with existing watershed data (e.g., soil type, topography, land use) and published sediment transport parameters, will then be used to model pathogen movement in the environment.