CONG was established to preserve and protect the largest remaining contiguous acreage of near-virgin southern hardwood bottomland forest. The quantity and quality of the water within the Congaree and Wateree rivers is fundamental to the maintenance of this floodplain forest ecosystem.

While surface-water-quality impairment due to fecal bacteria has been documented within CONG, the multiple on-site and off-site possible sources of contamination make it difficult for Park management to respond appropriately. The proposed study addresses a critical CONG need by employing a DNA-based, molecular approach to detect contributions from external human and animal (e.g., cow and poultry)agriculture, internal non-native mammalian (e.g., feral hog), and internal native mammalian (e.g., deer)sources of fecal bacteria.