Project Overview

Full Title
Assessing microbial contamination in the Newfound Creek watershed

Location
Newfound Creek is a tributary to the French Broad River northwest of Asheville.

Cooperating Agencies
Buncombe County Soil and Water Conservation District

Project Chief
Elise Giddings

Period of Project
2000-2003

Team Members

Callie Oblinger

WWW Resources

UNC Asheville VWIN Program

Department of Environmental and Natural Resources: French Broad River Basinwide Water Quality Plan

Clean Water Action Plan

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Newfound Creek Water Quality

Introduction

In October 2000 the North Carolina District of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) entered into an agreement with Buncombe County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) to assess bacterial contamination in the Newfound Creek watershed, northwest of Asheville. Newfound Creek is a tributary to the French Broad River. Samples collected by the Volunteer Water Information Network (VWIN) and by Buncombe Soil & Water Conservation District have exceeded the North Carolina water-quality standards for fecal coliform. Because Newfound Creek has been identified as a priority watershed under the Clean Water Action Plan's Unified Watershed Assessments, these exceedences have triggered a need for more detailed sampling of the creek and its tributaries in an effort to focus clean-up efforts. Potential sources of bacterial contamination in the watershed are confined animal feeding operations, and septic systems that support suburban and rural residential development.