Fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) are often used to determine whether a waterbody can be safely used for recreation. However, FIB are not source specific and provide minimal information on the source of contamination. Therefore, the combination of FIB and new techniques such as microbial source tracking (MST) have the potential to refine information for remedial efforts. In the summer of 2019, water samples from the western portion of the Mohawk river watershed were evaluated for FIB and the occurrence of two source specific markers: human and bovine. In addition to providing proof of concept for MST in this specific location, the study showed wide spread detection of the human marker HF183 in over 50% of the samples. The marker was the most prominent within the city of Utica, where detection of HF183 occurred in 69-77% of the samples and is likely due to the impact of the network of combined sewer overflows (CSOs). Overall, there was strong co-occurrence between elevated FIB concentrations and source markers in the region and vice versa (low FIB concentrations and no marker detection). However, 35% of samples with elevated FIB concentrations had no detection of the human or bovine markers suggesting the potential of a significant contribution from a source not evaluated in this study.