Quality of water and time of travel in Hobolochitto Creek, Pearl River County, Mississippi

In Mississippi, an intensive study of Hobolochitto Creek, including the lower parts of East and West Hobolochitto Creeks, was conducted on September 12-14, 1978. The quality-of-water data were collected during a period of generally low streamflow and seasonally high air temperatures. These data show that the quality of water in Hobolochitto Creek was generally good. The dissolved-solids concentrations were less than 50 milligrams per liter, and the concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus species were low. The 5-day biochemical oxygen demand generally was minimal, and dissolved-oxygen concentrations were at levels that could support aquatic life. Several water samples contained high fecal bacteria densities and there was evidence of the presence of wastes of human origin, particularly at the downstream sites on Hobolochitto Creek. It was determined from a time-of-travel study that the rate of solute travel is very slow at low streamflow. A peak dye concentration traveled through a 3.7-mile reach of Hobolochitto Creek in 23.5 hours.