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Water Quality Specialist Taylor Seijo made a trip to Slocum Creek on Wednesday for a ninth round of sampling.

The monthly sampling runs are part of the effort to determine the source, or sources, of the Havelock creek’s ongoing pollution, a process aided by a North Carolina Land and Water Fund grant and a partnership with the University of North Carolina’s Institute of Marine Sciences.

While Taylor usually conducts these sampling runs alone, on this occasion, Pamlico-Tar Riverkeeper Katey Zimmerman was able to join her.

“We were finally able to coordinate our busy schedules so that Katey could join me out in the field today,” Taylor said. “I tend to do a lot of my grant sampling solo since schedules can be tricky, but I always prefer when the stars align, and I’m able to go out with a buddy instead.” 

On this foray into the field, the pair had a new goal in mind: scouting more discretionary sites to sample along Wolf Pit Branch, which had previously been identified as a tributary where bacteria had been entering the creek. That source was traced to a septic system being straight-piped into the stream. The problem has since been corrected, but Slocum Creek’s pollution problem continues.

“I found a potential access last month, but was unfortunately not able to check it out due to an alligator sunning right where I planned to get out on the water,” Taylor said. “Today was gator-free, so Katey and I pulled our kayaks up next to the railroad tracks back there and walked upstream to see if we could find an access point.”

They found the perfect access point, but could not reach the water without a sample pole.

“Unfortunately, we couldn’t grab a sample from there today, but we have it on our radar now and will be more prepared for the next sampling run,” Taylor said.

Alligator sightings have become commonplace on the Slocum Creek sampling trips, but on Wednesday’s run, they were as elusive as Slocum Creek’s pollution source.

“There were no super-cool wildlife sightings today, which was a bummer,” Taylor said. “However, we’re finally starting to get some nice fall weather, so the beautiful day more than made up for it!”

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