Microbial Studies of a High Alpine Water Supply Used for Recreation

Stuart, Sidney

Selected waters from the high alpine zone within Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming were studied during the past four summers to determine the influence of various factors on the quality of these waters. The water samples collected were analyzed for populations of indicator bacteria. Water that originated in remote areas contained some indicator bacteria and these populations increased as the water flowed toward the valley. In general, the magnitude of this increase was not significantly influenced by the presence or absence of human visitors but, rather, by the nature of the biological community through which the streams flowed. It was determined that it is possible for coliforms of the non-fecal type to grow and multiply in alpine streams using extracellular products excreted by algae but it was not determined to what extent (if any) this occurs in Grand Teton National Park. Once in the valley lakes, the indicator bacteria declined to very low levels. A minority of the coliforms that were recovered from all of the sites proved to be fecal coliforms. The fecal streptococci isolated were identified as the species that were found primarily in the fecal material of the native rodent and moose populations. It is concluded that management questions that relate to the carrying capacity of alpine areas should be approached with the aid of other biological parameters along with levels of indicator bacteria in the streams.