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Quality of water in Luxapallia Creek at Columbus, Mississippi

Open-File Report 82-373
Prepared in cooperation with the Mississippi Department of Natural Resources Bureau of Pollution Control
By:
https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr82373

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Abstract

A quality-of-water study was conducted on September 9-12, 1979, on Luxapallila Creek and its tributaries, Magby and McCrary Creeks. The short term study indicated that the water in Luxapallila, Magby, and McCrary Creeks is suitable for many purposes.

The dissolved-oxygen concentration, temperature, and pH of the water in Luxapallila Creek changed little downstream from site 1 to site 5. The mean specific conductance increased from 25 micromhos per centimeter at site 1 to 46 micromhos per centimeter at site 5. The concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus species, densities of fecal bacteria and 5-day biochemical-oxygen-demand load in Luxapallila Creek also increased downstream.

The maximum BOD5 increased from 0.7 mg/L at the upstream site to 2.6 mg/L at the most downstream site. The maximum total nitrogen concentration increased from 0.71 mg/L to 2.0 mg/L. The maximum ammonia nitrogen concentration increased from 0.08 mg/L to 0.50 mg/L. Maximum nitrate plus nitrite concentrations increased from 0.13 mg/L to 0.15 mg/L and the maximum organic nitrogen concentrations increased from 0.53 mg/L to 1.6 mg/L.

Maximum total phosphorus concentrations increased from 0.04 mg/L at the upstream site to 0.30 mg/L at the downstream site.

The fecal coliform to fecal streptococcus ratio of three of five samples collected at site 5 was greater than 4.0 strongly suggesting the presence of human wastes at the downstream sites during the study.

Suggested Citation

Kalkhoff, S.J., 1982, Quality of water in Luxapallia Creek at Columbus, Mississippi: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 82-373, v, 38 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr82373.

ISSN: 2331-1258 (online)

Study Area

Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Quality of water in Luxapallia Creek at Columbus, Mississippi
Series title Open-File Report
Series number 82-373
DOI 10.3133/ofr82373
Year Published 1982
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Description v, 38 p.
Country United States
State Mississippi
City Columbus
Other Geospatial Luxapallia Creek
Additional publication details