Colorado's citizen scientists are growing E. coli in their pockets
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SILVERTON, Colo. — Thunder and lightning rolled in as Haley Perez and Dan Brown hiked the Ice Lake Trail. They were on their way to collect a water sample from a waterfall for E. coli testing when rain began to pour.
“This is the thrill of science,” Perez said.
Perez, a community science program assistant, and Brown, a volunteer, were taking part in a citizen science project led by the Mountain Studies Institute (MSI), a nonprofit mountain research and education center.
Four times each summer, volunteers visit 18 sites across San Juan and La Plata counties to gather water samples. The institute provides free training and equipment. The goal is to collect data while connecting residents to the scientific process, giving them tools to better understand and protect their region.
Despite losing 35% of its funding this year due to federal budget cuts, MSI has seen more volunteers step up.
“With the current situation, it’s important to have volunteers and bring environmental awareness to the community,” Brown said.
The E. coli monitoring project began in 2021 after the Ice Lake Trail closed due to wildfire in late 2020. The closure gave researchers a baseline of E. coli levels without recreation.
E. coli is a bacteria that lives in the intestines of people and animals and is commonly found in feces. Most strains are harmless, but some can cause illness and even be life-threatening. To reduce contamination in the backcountry, it is recommended burying human waste at least 200 feet from any water source.
At 9 a.m., Perez and Brown arrived at the Ice Lake campsite and set up near a fast-moving creek. Brown scooped 100 milliliters of water from the middle of the stream while Perez prepared the filter unit. Using tweezers, she placed a filtration sheet inside before Brown poured in the sample. He pushed the water through with a syringe pump, leaving any E. coli on the filter.
Perez transferred the filter to an incubation disk, which she tucked into her pocket to keep warm. For the next 48 hours, her body temperature would act as an incubator. If E. coli were present, blue dots would appear on the disk.
For recreational waters, the safety standard is 126 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters. So far, the only site to exceed that level has been Junction Creek, near Durango. MSI reports any above-standard results to authorities.
After collecting the waterfall sample, heavy rain forced Perez and Brown to finish the filtration under a tree.
This was Brown’s third sampling trip. A retired accountant, he began volunteering with MSI in May and has also worked on projects such as removing invasive weeds and observing pika.
There was a learning curve. Brown admitted he “screwed up” his first attempt at sampling.
“I wouldn’t call it second nature but it’s simple now,” he said.
Perez said 15 to 20 volunteers are helping with the sampling this season, though more would be welcome. When no one is available to cover certain sites, staff members step in to fill the gap.
Consistency is a challenge for the researchers. Because incubation relies on body heat, volunteers usually carry the disks in their pockets, which can lead to errors. Perez hopes to obtain straps that would hold the disks securely at the waist.
“As of now, a trend has not been established since this is a relatively new project,” Perez said. “As time goes on, we will be able to see more of a trend line, but we usually do not see such trends until the 10-15 year mark with citizen science initiatives.”
With additional funding, she said, the project could expand to more sites and provide a bigger story of water.
As rain continued to pour over the mountains, Perez and Brown called it a day. Brown tucked the disk into his pocket to incubate it on the hike back.
“It’s so cool to see what you can grow in your pocket,” Perez said.
Type of story: News
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. To read more about why you can trust the journalism of Rocky Mountain PBS, please visit our editorial standards and practices page.
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. To read more about why you can trust the journalism of Rocky Mountain PBS, please visit our editorial standards and practices page.