Sinking Creek, located in upper east Tennessee, is on the 303(d) list for not meeting minimum water quality standards for recreation. A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for fecal coliforms was developed. The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of water quality parameters to identify areas that contribute to the fecal coliform loading. Concentrations of nitrate-N, orthophosphates, BOD, alkalinity, hardness, and optical brighteners (OB) were monitored at fourteen stations monthly for one year. Site 3 (agricultural region) exhibited the highest average nitrate-N loadings (627.34 mg/sec) and orthophosphate (as PO43-) loadings (84.83 mg/sec). Alkalinity loadings ranged from 10.00 mg as CaCO3/sec to 163,500.00 mgCaCO3/sec. Hardness loadings ranged from 2.00 mg as CaCO3/sec to 96,200.00 mgCaCO3/sec. The agricultural sites exhibited higher loadings for all water quality parameters measured (except OB) than the urban and forest areas. Nutrient loadings appeared to be related to agricultural land use patterns.
","abstract_html":"<p>Sinking Creek, located in upper east Tennessee, is on the 303(d) list for not meeting minimum water quality standards for recreation. A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for fecal coliforms was developed. The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of water quality parameters to identify areas that contribute to the fecal coliform loading. Concentrations of nitrate-N, orthophosphates, BOD, alkalinity, hardness, and optical brighteners (OB) were monitored at fourteen stations monthly for one year. Site 3 (agricultural region) exhibited the highest average nitrate-N loadings (627.34 mg/sec) and orthophosphate (as PO<sub>4</sub><sup>3-</sup>) loadings (84.83 mg/sec). Alkalinity loadings ranged from 10.00 mg as CaCO<sub>3</sub>/sec to 163,500.00 mgCaCO<sub>3</sub>/sec. Hardness loadings ranged from 2.00 mg as CaCO<sub>3</sub>/sec to 96,200.00 mgCaCO<sub>3</sub>/sec. The agricultural sites exhibited higher loadings for all water quality parameters measured (except OB) than the urban and forest areas. Nutrient loadings appeared to be related to agricultural land use patterns.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Floresguerra, Susana Maria"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"MSEH (Master of Science in Environmental Health)","degree_level":"Thesis - unrestricted","degree_discipline":"Environmental Health","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2003,"date_issued":"2003-12-13T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2003-12-13T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:19:21Z","subjects":["nitrate","TMDL","Sinking Creek","water quality parameters","BOD","hardness","orthophosphate","alkalinity","Environmental Health and Protection","Environmental Monitoring","Environmental Sciences","Physical Sciences and Mathematics"],"languages":[],"rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/807","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Floresguerra, Susana Maria"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2003-12-13T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Environmental Health"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis - unrestricted"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["MSEH (Master of Science in Environmental Health)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["nitrate","TMDL","Sinking Creek","water quality parameters","BOD","hardness","orthophosphate","alkalinity","Environmental Health and Protection","Environmental Monitoring","Environmental Sciences","Physical Sciences and Mathematics"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright by the authors."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/1964/viewcontent/Flor081303f.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/807"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Sinking Creek, located in upper east Tennessee, is on the 303(d) list for not meeting minimum water quality standards for recreation. A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for fecal coliforms was developed. The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of water quality parameters to identify areas that contribute to the fecal coliform loading. Concentrations of nitrate-N, orthophosphates, BOD, alkalinity, hardness, and optical brighteners (OB) were monitored at fourteen stations monthly for one year. Site 3 (agricultural region) exhibited the highest average nitrate-N loadings (627.34 mg/sec) and orthophosphate (as PO43-) loadings (84.83 mg/sec). Alkalinity loadings ranged from 10.00 mg as CaCO3/sec to 163,500.00 mgCaCO3/sec. Hardness loadings ranged from 2.00 mg as CaCO3/sec to 96,200.00 mgCaCO3/sec. The agricultural sites exhibited higher loadings for all water quality parameters measured (except OB) than the urban and forest areas. Nutrient loadings appeared to be related to agricultural land use patterns.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Use of Selected Water Quality Parameters to Identify Fecal Coliform Sources in Support of the Sinking Creek Total Maximum Daily Load."]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Floresguerra, Susana Maria"],"dc:date.issued":["2003-12-13T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Sinking Creek, located in upper east Tennessee, is on the 303(d) list for not meeting minimum water quality standards for recreation. A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for fecal coliforms was developed. The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of water quality parameters to identify areas that contribute to the fecal coliform loading. Concentrations of nitrate-N, orthophosphates, BOD, alkalinity, hardness, and optical brighteners (OB) were monitored at fourteen stations monthly for one year. Site 3 (agricultural region) exhibited the highest average nitrate-N loadings (627.34 mg/sec) and orthophosphate (as PO43-) loadings (84.83 mg/sec). Alkalinity loadings ranged from 10.00 mg as CaCO3/sec to 163,500.00 mgCaCO3/sec. Hardness loadings ranged from 2.00 mg as CaCO3/sec to 96,200.00 mgCaCO3/sec. The agricultural sites exhibited higher loadings for all water quality parameters measured (except OB) than the urban and forest areas. Nutrient loadings appeared to be related to agricultural land use patterns.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/1964/viewcontent/Flor081303f.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/807"],"dc:rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"dc:subject":["nitrate","TMDL","Sinking Creek","water quality parameters","BOD","hardness","orthophosphate","alkalinity","Environmental Health and Protection","Environmental Monitoring","Environmental Sciences","Physical Sciences and Mathematics"],"dc:title":["The Use of Selected Water Quality Parameters to Identify Fecal Coliform Sources in Support of the Sinking Creek Total Maximum Daily Load."],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Environmental Health"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis - unrestricted"],"thesis:degree_name":["MSEH (Master of Science in Environmental Health)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:19:21Z"}