Ag not responsible for all water quality problems, says scientist

DNA testing finds majority of lower Boise River pollution problems caused by birds

by Patricia R. McCoy, Capital Press Staff Writer

Boise, Idaho - Whenever water quality standards and the pollution loading standards known as total maximum daily loads are mentioned, farmers and ranchers sometimes react with anger, feeling they're being blamed for the total problem.

Officials with the various state and federal agencies involved in the TMDL process deny that is the case.

In addition, scientific data being developed on several stream segments is proving that agriculture isn't totally responsible, and in many cases, may not even be the major source of the problem.

One such example is the Lower Boise River.

The technical advisory committee for the Lower Boise water quality plan recently heard a report from Mansour Samadpour, University of Washington professor with what may possibly be the larges database of E. coli DNA in the nation.

Samadpour used that database to link the E. coli found in the lower Boise to its sources, applying techniques often associated with DNA testing in modern court cases.

The end results:  Much of the E. coli in the lower Boise River apparently comes from birds - specifically ducks, geese and other waterfowl - according to charts shown to the technical committee by Samadpour.

The second-highest source appeared to be people, and canines and felines were a close third.

While domestic dogs and cats were likely the largest component of the canine and feline readings, coyotes could ge part of the mix as well, he said.

Cows, horses, sheep and pigs didn't show up until the sampling points left the city of Boise, from Eagle Island down to Parma, where the Boise River runs into the Snake River, he said.\Even at those points, other sources appeared to be the larger part.

"Part of the problem is that many regulatory agencies have never seen reports like this.  They know there's E. coli in the water, but they don't know the sources of it.

There are systems people have no business going into," Samadpour said.

Health inspections need to focus more closely and frequently on old septic tanks, said Tom Krumsick, chairman of the technical advisory committee.

"It appears we have controllable and noncontrollable sources of contamination.  We need to set our anticipations of what we can accomplish at realistic levels, controlling what we can control as best we can, and then monitor the results," Krumsick said.

The technical committee is working toward a TMDL implementation plan for the Lower Boise River.

The plan is due in July, under the schedule set for Idaho when a federal court ruling issued in late 1996 gave the state eight years to develop TMDLs for all water-quality limited stream segments in the state, as listed under section 303d of the  Clean Water Act.

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