Assessment of fecal contamination sources to Alley Creek, Queens County, New York, August 2020–June 2021

• DOI: 10.3133/sir20225068
• Publication Date: 2022-07-20T17:04:01Z
• Authors: Shawn C. Fisher; Christopher M. Ke...; Natalie Cheung; Tristen N. Taglia...
• Keywords: Indicator bacteria; Alley

First posted July 20, 2022 For additional information, contact: Director, New York Water Science CenterU.S. Geological Survey425 Jordan RoadTroy, NY 12180–8349 Alley Creek, a tributary to Little Neck Bay in Queens County, York, has been designated by the State Department of Environmental Conservation as impaired (Class I) for fecal coliform because pollution from combined sewer overflow, including stormwater runoff. The U.S. Survey, cooperation with City Protection, conducted 1-year study August 2020 June 2021 using microbial source tracking (MST) methods assess potential host sources contamination (for example, human, canine, and waterfowl) following: three outfall sites, TI–025, TI–008, TI–024; an artesian well (Q277) adjacent Creek; natural waters within Creek watershed Bay. In addition analyzing MST markers, field measurements such water temperature specific conductance, samples total suspended solids, indicator bacteria (FIB; enterococci coliform) were collected. Pharmaceutical compounds also collected analysis, results sampling compared spatially temporally help support management decisions related mitigation Creek. Factors that could affect concentrations, tidal conditions, seasonality, weather assessed. A sediment resuspension laboratory experiment was designed replicate activity sewers on shoreline, Oakland Lake. These assessed understand relation between FIB column. human markers used this study, Bacteroides HF183/BacR287, crAssphage CPQ_056 CPQ_064, detected most (27 28) at sites along whereas canine marker BacCan less prevalent (20 28 samples) but exhibited pattern relative concentrations similar markers. waterfowl GFD 7 sites. Human not Lake (which drains through line TI–008), indicating minimal or nonexistent influence sewage lake. Groundwater Q277 did contain any than 10 colony forming units per 100 milliliters. Although correlate solids individual sample sets, following precipitation high-turbidity events typically found have higher dry-weather samples. Results pharmaceutical analysis provided evidence determining known suspected when coupled Together, MST, pharmaceutical, data generated supplementary locations point sources, wildlife populations, exchange data, may provide reliable information identification transport mechanisms