ASSESSING ANTHROPOGENIC EFFECTS ON WATER QUALITY IN RACCOON MOUNTAIN CAVERNS, CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE

Racoon Mountain Caverns is a cave system that is located approximately 6 miles west of Chattanooga, Tennessee. The surrounding community has been developing since the early 2000s and the commercial part of the cave has been offering cave tours since the 1930s. Land use change associated with new and ongoing developments and regular foot traffic through the caves may introduce contaminants into the water of the cave. The purpose of this study is to assess the human impact on the groundwater quality of the caverns. Water samples were collected in two locations during two moisture regimes. At each location water from above the cave, in an active stream within the cave, and in a plunge pool beneath a waterfall in the cave was collected for water quality analyses, including heavy metals, plastics, fecal coliform, and fertilizers. Optical brighteners will also be used to determine the extent to which laundry detergents have infiltrated the cave waters. A sample was also collected from a section of the cave wall and a speleothem to establish the chemistry of the limestone.