Storm sampling to assess inclement weather impacts on water quality in a karst watershed: Sinking Creek, Watauga watershed, East Tennessee

Sinking Creek (HUC 06010103046), in the Watauga watershed of northeast Tennessee, is impaired due to Escherichia coli. To assess how E. coli and other water quality parameters fluctuated during storm events, samples were collected with automated samplers eight storms at two locations: a feeder spring. Turbidity electrical conductivity data loggers deployed creek, dissolved oxygen (DO) was measured situ. The presence optical brighteners, used detergents an indicator residential wastewater, assessed using cotton fabric both sites analyzed by external laboratory. Colilert Quanti-Tray method process for Relationships between lagged precipitation cross-correlation. At turbidity increased within 2 h precipitation, exceeding single sample standard 941 cfu 100 ml−1 storm. spring, became elevated more quickly than stream, 30 min decreased below event. Electrical 1.5 DO levels higher creek Optical brightener analysis indicated possible wastewater one sampled storms. Targeted sampling dye tracing are recommended validate this hypothesis. These results may be inform field methods similar studies will useful restoration efforts Creek.