43 
coliforms. In the vicinity of the Orange County outfall the 
highest counts were observed down coast from the outfall and 
extended to the beach. One sample, taken at the water line 
about 3,000 feet down coast from the outfall position, had a-- 
MPN of over 5,000/cm*. It should be mentioned that this sample, 
as well as other high count samples, appeared to consist of clean 
sand with no visible evidence of sluwige deposits. In qualitative 
terms, the distribution of coliforms in the sediments appears 
to follow the movement of the surface effluent field on the days 
of our trips to Orange County. 
The distribution of coliforms in the sediments around 
Whites Point differed somewhat from that observed at Orange 
County although an equally large, if mot more extensive, field 
existed. The highest concentration of coliforms followed a line 
travelling up coast from the outfall parallei to the shore and 
rounding Point Vicente, and down coast and seaward past Point 
Fermin, The data also showed coliforms off the entrance to the 
harbor which could have come from the outfall discharging inside 
of the breakwater. Contrary to what was found around Orange 
County, however, the waterline samples, with two exceptions for 
the stations directly behind the outfall, were negative. The 
distribution of coliforms in this area generally coincided with 
the distribution of three other markers of high organic matter 
content undoubtedly of outfall origins the distribution of black 
sediments; the distribution of HS in the sediments; and the 
distribution of Chaetopterus variopedatus (Figure 13). 
