AN ANALYSIS OF SEASONAL FECAL-COLIFORM LEVELS IN THE TCHEFUNCTE RIVER

A model for estimating seasonal fecal coliform concentrations in the T chefuncte River as a function of river discharge was developed. Data o n fecal coliform concentration were obtained from the Louisiana Depart ment of Health and Hospitals and were available for a period of 15 yea rs (1975 through 1992) from three locations. Stream flow data were obt ained from a gaging station of the U. S. Geological Survey at Folsom, Louisiana. These data were available for 49 years (1943 through 1991). The climate of the area is characterized by different precipitation/r unoff mechanisms for the summer and winter seasons. The division for s easons used in this analysis was May through October (summer season), and November through April (winter season). Because of the combined ef fects of climatic mechanisms causing precipitation and the seasonal va riation of evapotranspiration, runoff is greater in the winter season resulting in higher fecal coliform counts in the Tchefuncte River. Sta tistical analysis revealed a statistically significant relationship be tween fecal coliform concentration and discharge for each season, at e ach of three sites on the Tchefuncte River.