The contribution of 983 hectare of rural watershed to the fecal coliform (FC) and fecal streptococci (FS) pollution in water runoff entering the Rhode River was examined. The survival of Streptococcus faecalis MC-5 of fecal origin in the Rhode River estuary as affected by time, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, salinity and montmorillonite in diffusion chambers was determined. As a result of this study the following conclusions were made: 1. The effect of basin characteristics was the same on FC and FS discharge and on water flow; 2. Fecal coliform pollution in runoff water varies with the seasons of the year; 3. The contribution of each land use component to FC and FS discharge in a multiple land use watershed can be calculated by the use of a statistical model; 4. Water temperature is the most important factor in predicting fecal streptococci survival from point and non-point sources in assessing water quality in an estuarine sy_stem. The following publication resulted from this investigation: Faust, M.A. and N. M. Goff, 1977. Basin size, water flow and land-use effects of fecal coliform pollution from a rural watershed. l!!.. Watershed Research in Eastern North America. Chesapeake Bay Center for Environmental Studies, Smithsonian Institution, Edgewater, Md. Feb. 28 – March 3, 1977. Smithsonian Institution publication.