# Surface-Water Monitoring for Pesticides in Wyoming

| Introduction | Approach | Results | Products | Contacts | 

## Introduction

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### Wyoming Water Science Center Prepared in cooperation with the Wyoming Department of Agriculture (WDA)

In 2006, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Wyoming Department of Agriculture, conducted a one-year surface-water sampling project at two sites in the North Platte Basin and three sites in the Big Horn Basin. The purpose of the study was to determine the occurrence of pesticides in the basins and evaluate the seasonality of any pesticide detections. Bighorn River at Basin, Wyoming

Three synoptic sample events were conducted during March, May, and September, 2006. The sample eventscorresponded with preapplication of pesticides, postPage 1 of 3 Surface-Water Monitoring fo r Pesticides in Wyoming

5/14/2010 htt p ://w y .water.us g s. g ov/ p ro j ects/ p esticide/sw/index.htmapplication of pesticides, and the end of the growing season. The analytical methods used determined the presence and concentration of 125 different pest icides. In addition to pesticide analyses, temperature, pH, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and discharge were measured at each site.



## Results

z Samples collected from all five sites and all three sampling dates contained pesticides.

z The most commonly detected pesticide in the Bighorn River Basin was MCPA (trade names Solve1 and MCP1).

z The most commonly detected pesticide in the North Platte Basin was atrazine (trade name AAtrex1).

z Atrazine was detected in all samples collected in the Big Horn Basin.

z In the two river basins, additional pest icides (with trade name 1 in italics) detected include:

z aldicarb ( Temik ) degradation product

z atrazine ( Aatrex ) degradation products

z bentazon ( Bentzone )

z bromoxynil ( Buctril )

z carbofuran ( Furadan )

z cycloate ( Ro-Neet ) Map of study area (click on image for a larger version, 162 kb).



## Products
All data were published in the 2006 USGS Water Data Report for Wyoming in early 2007, in addition to being available on the USGS NWIS-Web site ( http://wwwnwis.er.usgs.gov/index.html ). A fact sheet describing the results is now available. Page 2 of 3 Surface-Water Monitoring fo r Pesticides in Wyoming

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### For more information, contact:
Cheryl Eddy Miller USGS Project Manager 2617 E. Lincolnway, Suite B Cheyenne, Wyoming 82001 (307) 775-9167 Email: cemiller@usgs.gov Roy Reichenbach Wyoming Department of Agriculture 2219 Carey Avenue Cheyenne, Wyoming 82002 (307) 777-7324
Funding for the project was provided by the Wy oming Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Geological Survey. Wyoming Water Science Center z 2,4-D

z EPTC ( Eptam )

z MCPA ( Solve )

z hexazinone ( Velpar )

z metolachlor ( Dual )

z metribuzin ( Sencor )

z prometon ( Pramitol )

z simazine ( Princep )

z trifluralin ( Treflan )

1 The use of trade, product, industry, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government

Accessibility FOIA Privacy Policies and Notices U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey URL: http://wy.water.usgs.gov /projects/pesticide/index.htm Page Contact Information: Wyoming Webmaster Page Last Modified: April 10, 2007 Page 3 of 3 Surface-Water Monitoring fo r Pesticides in Wyoming

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