This study was conducted in Grand Teton National Park during the summers of
1996 and 1997 to investigate the water quality in two high human use areas
: Garnet Canyon and lower Cascade Canyon. To evaluate the water quality in
these creeks, fecal coliform, Giardia lamblia, coccidia, and microparticula
tes were measured in water samples. No evidence of fecal coliform, Giardia
lamblia, or coccidia, was found in Garnet Creek. The water quality and gene
ral water chemistry of Garnet Creek was similar to the reference site. No G
iardia lamblia or coccidia were found in Cascade Creek, but fecal coliforms
were present. The isolated colonies of Escherichia coli from Cascade Creek
matched the ribosome patterns of avian, deer, canine, elk, rodent, and hum
an coliforms.