Bugs and Bacteria: A Survey of Water Quality and Ecosystem Health in Rockbridge County (thesis)

Abstract

The Maury River and its tributaries comprise an understudied system within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed that is affected heavily by human disturbance. Water and sediment nitrate and E. coli concentrations were used in conjunction with the Virginia Save Our Streams benthic macroinvertebrate sampling method to assess the health of several waterways within Rockbridge County, Virginia, within which the Maury River is fully enclosed. Macroinvertebrate data did not correlate with nitrate or E. coli concentration but does indicate that the benthic macroinvertebrate community shows some resilience to disturbance. Nitrate and E. coli concentrations indicate that agricultural and recreational activities may be having an adverse effect on waterways.