Department of Biology. Increasing populations, industrial growth and pollution are causing water shortages throughout the world. Pollution in particular is a problem because clean water is necessary for almost every human endeavor. Specifically, contamination of water with fecal wastes presents problems for both man and the environment. Because water acts as a medium for carrying infectious diseases, many people are infected every year by consuming water tainted with fecal waste.
Panther Creek is a spring fed stream located in Morristown, Tennessee.
Because horse trails of Panther Creek State Park are contained within the watershed of Panther Creek, significant fecal bacteria may be contributed to the creek via runoff. As a result, a water quality survey of the coliform concentrations at Panther Creek was commenced on October 8, 1997. The data from the 14-month survey show that coliform counts downstream of the horse trail were significantly higher than counts of upstream sites. This suggests that the horse trail may be impacting the water quality of Panther Creek.