JACKSON, Wyo. — Kelsey Ruehling, a University of Wyoming M.S. student, will be presenting preliminary results from her research on bacterial communities and fecal pollution in Fish Creek and Flat Creek at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 26. Find a Zoom link to join the presentation virtually on Teton Conservation District’s website.
Fish Creek, and a portion of Flat Creek, were designated as “impaired” in 2020 by the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality due to elevated concentrations of Escherichia coli (E. coli), a bacteria found in the intestines of mammals (including humans). Because E. coli can be cultured quickly and inexpensively in a laboratory, these bacteria have been used by scientists as a proxy or indicator for fecal contamination and the presence of pathogens. Fish and Flat Creeks exceed Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality recreational use standards, which means they are not considered safe for full-body contact, because of the risk of illness from ingesting a pathogenic strain of E. coli or another fecal pathogen.
Kelsey’s research will help us better understanding the origin sources of fecal pollution and how it affects bacterial communities. The last time E. coli research was conducted in Fish Creek was in the early 2000s. Carlin Girard, executive director of Teton Conservation District, says “Kelsey’s research fills a much-needed data gap—where is fecal contamination in Fish Creek and Flat Creek coming from? Currently, we can guess or we can use 15-year-old data, but in the end, this research will allow time and money to be allocated efficiently and generate the result we all want—water that is safe for humans, pets, and wildlife.”
Teton Conservation District supported this project with grant funds.
