Assessing the spatiotemporal socioeconomic flood vulnerability of agricultural communities in the Potomac River Watershed

ABSTRACT To better characterize Cryptosporidium in the Potomac River watershed, a PCR-based genotyping tool was used to analyze 64 base flow and 28 storm flow samples from five sites in the watershed. These sites included two water treatment plant intakes, as well as three upstream sites, each associated with a different type of land use. The uses, including urban wastewater, agricultural (cattle) wastewater, and wildlife, posed different risks in terms of the potential contribution of Cryptosporidium oocysts to the source water. Cryptosporidium was detected in 27 base flow water samples and 23 storm flow water samples. The most frequently detected species was C. andersoni (detected in 41 samples), while 14 other species or genotypes, almost all wildlife associated, were occasionally detected. The two common human-pathogenic species, C. hominis and C. parvum, were not detected. Although C. andersoni was common at all four sites influenced by agriculture, it was largely absent at the urban wastewater site. There were very few positive samples as determined by Environmental Protection Agency method 1623 at any site; only 8 of 90 samples analyzed (9%) were positive for Cryptosporidium as determined by microscopy. The genotyping results suggest that many of the Cryptosporidium oocysts in the water treatment plant source waters were from old calves and adult cattle and might not pose a significant risk to human health.

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Optimized Suspect Screening Approach for a Comprehensive Assessment of the Impact of Best Management Practices in Reducing Micropollutants Transport in the Potomac River Watershed

Water Research ◽

10.1016/j.watres.2021.116805 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 116805

Author(s):

Mary Grace E. Guardian ◽

Ping He ◽

Alysson Bermudez ◽

Shuiwang Duan ◽

Sujay S. Kaushal ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Best Management Practices ◽

Management Practices ◽

Comprehensive Assessment ◽

Potomac River ◽

Suspect Screening ◽

River Watershed ◽

Best Management ◽

Screening Approach ◽

The Impact

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Epigean Crayfish of the Potomac River Basin in West Virginia: Zoogeography, Natural History and Conservation

Freshwater Crayfish ◽

10.5869/fc.2021.v26-1.37 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

pp. 37-49

Author(s):

Zachary J. Loughman ◽

Audrey M. Sykes ◽

Matthew J. McKinney ◽

Stuart A. Welsh

Keyword(s):

Life History ◽

West Virginia ◽

River Basin ◽

Species Abundance ◽

Distribution Data ◽

Potomac River ◽

River Watershed ◽

The North ◽

Potomac River Basin ◽

Conservation Concern

Abstract Crayfish are an aquatic fauna of conservation concern, yet regional studies are lacking on zoogeography and life history. We compared recent and historical species distribution data and assessed conservation standings of native and nonindigenous crayfish of the Potomac River Basin in West Virginia. From 2007–2011, a total of 1764 crayfish were collected from 159 sites. Data collection included species abundance, morphometrics, and life history parameters. Percentages of the number of individuals of each species of the total catch were 36.3% (Cambarus bartonii), 34.6% (Faxonius obscurus), 23.4% (Faxonius virilis), 3.6% (Procambarus cf. zonangulus) and 2.0% (Cambarus carinirostris). Cambarus bartonii was present throughout the drainage, F. obscurus was collected primarily from the North Branch, South Branch, and Cacapon river watersheds, and C. carinirostris was only collected in the South Branch watershed. Two nonnative species, F. virilis and P. cf. zonangulus, were only present in tributaries downstream of the Cacapon River watershed. Spinycheek crayfish (Faxonius limosus) were not collected during our survey, which suggests its possible extirpation from the West Virginia portion of its range. Our zoogeographic and life history data could serve as a baseline for future conservation-oriented monitoring efforts of the Potomac River watershed.

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