Bacteriological water quality in and around Lake Pontchartrain following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
Circular
1306-7H
This report is Chapter 7H in Science and the storms-the USGS response to the hurricanes of 2005. See Circular 1306 for more information and other chapters.
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Abstract
Following the Louisiana landfalls of Katrina on August 29 and Rita on September 24, 2005, the local population and the American public were concerned about the effects the hurricanes might have on water quality in Lake Pontchartrain. The lake is a major recreational resource for the region and an important fishery. Contamination carried by the storm surge—along with runoff and water pumped from flooded areas of New Orleans—was considered a serious threat to the water body. The USGS, in collaboration with the LDEQ, monitored the sanitary quality of water at 22 sites in and around Lake Pontchartrain, La., for 3 consecutive weeks from September 13 to 29, 2005 (fig. 1). A subsequent multipleagency survey of 30 sites within Lake Pontchartrain was undertaken by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the USGS, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration during the week of October 11–14, 2005, to evaluate the effects of the hurricanes and overall levels of fecal contamination on the water quality of the lake (see Heitmuller and Perez, this volume). In addition, the EPA monitored fecal-indicator concentrations at a variety of sites in New Orleans, surrounding areas, and the Mississippi River between September 3 and October 22, 2005 (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2006). This article describes fecal-indicator bacteria concentration results collected by USGS in the context of other existing data.
Study Area
| Publication type | Report |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | USGS Numbered Series |
| Title | Bacteriological water quality in and around Lake Pontchartrain following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita |
| Series title | Circular |
| Series number | 1306 |
| Chapter | 7H |
| DOI | 10.3133/2001145 |
| Year Published | 2007 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | U.S. Geological Survey |
| Publisher location | Reston, VA |
| Contributing office(s) | National Wildlife Health Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center |
| Description | 6 p. |
| Larger Work Type | Report |
| Larger Work Subtype | USGS Numbered Series |
| Larger Work Title | Science and the storms-the USGS response to the hurricanes of 2005 (Circular 1306) |
| First page | 239 |
| Last page | 244 |
| Country | United States |
| State | Louisiana |
| Other Geospatial | Lake Pontchartrain |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |