Bayou Texar and its tributary, Carpenter's Creek, is located in Pensacola Florida, is important for recreation and aquatic life, and has been studied previously. The Carpenter’s Creek watershed spans much of the urban center of Pensacola.. Bacterial abundance in the Bayou and Creek is a concern due to possible effects of urban stormwater runoff which could cause increased abundance. in the Bayou are than in most other places in Pensacola. We tested whether bacterial levels in the Bayou and Creek were affected by runoff following a rainstorm by measuring conditions immediately after a rain events and again after several days without rain. To enumerate the bacteria, we used an epifluorescence microscope and a computer image analysis program that counted the bacteria. We also measured specific conductivity, pH, and water temperature using a multi-parameter sensor to see how these were changed by the stormwater. In some places the water was deep, whereas in others it was shallow with visible macroalgae. Compared to the other sampling date, specific conductivity was lower after the rain event. Water temperature was also…show more content… The decrease in conductivity was especially large in the Bayou, likely because freshwater diluted the seawater at that site. Conductivity changes in the stream are more difficult to understand. Different sources of waters within the stream, such as groundwater or surface run-off may have different amounts of dissolved minerals, and therefore different conductivities. We hypothesize that on the day not following a rain event, the stream had more groundwater inputs, which appear to have higher conductivity than the stormwater. We can also infer from the temperature data that the water had been in the stream channel long enough to warm up. Water temperature was lower following rain, because rainfall was relatively cold, and there was little sun to warm the land and
