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** Watershed Final Reports
Available for Download **
What's Happening
The Microbial Source Tracking Project investigated non-point source
pollution in the Webhannet Estuary and Little River Estuary watersheds
in Wells, Sanford and Kennebunk, Maine. This project focused on the
Webhannet watershed the first year (Dec. 2001-Sept. 2002), and the Little
River watershed the second year (Dec. 2002-Sept. 2003). The project
was created by Maine Sea Grant
associate Kristen Whiting-Grant, and funded by the Cooperative Institute
for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology (CICEET).
Our Goal
The goal of the project is two-fold. First, to help validate genetic
fingerprinting (ribotyping) of E. coli as a method for identifying
the source of fecal contamination in surface waters. The second goal
is to determine the source animal species of the fecal contamination
in the Webhannet and Little Rivers in York County, Maine. Fecal indicator
bacteria such as E. coli are used to assess the possible presence
of disease-causing agents in water. Similar bacteria are used to determine
whether or not to close shellfish beds. Understanding the sources of
these bacteria would represent a significant advance in water quality
assessment. It could also help continue a trend toward cleaner estuaries,
eventually helping to re-open portions of the estuaries to shellfishing.
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Beth at University of New Hampshire-Jackson
Estuarine Lab proceeds with genetic analysis of bacteria from southern
Maine streams.
NEWS
What can we do to protect water
quality?
Webhannet and MBLR Reports
Step by step overview of our MST
project.
Graphs comparing rain and fecal
coliform results now available on web.
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