In this study, the abundance and distribution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), as well as the concentrations of antibiotics present in a mixed-use watershed in Athens, GA, USA were examined, in order to enhance understanding of the existing state of AR in the freshwater environment. The current study has shown that antibiotic-related contaminants are prevalent in the freshwater environment, including commensal and pathogenic bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics used for human and veterinary purposes, medically important antibiotics, as well as the genes associated with resistance to these antibiotics. This dataset is not publicly accessible because: Data belong to coauthor at USDA ARS. It can be accessed through the following means: The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author, Jonathan Frye at USDA. Format: Statistical analysis of data from surface water samples, see the journal article's Supplementary Materials for additional information: https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/antibiotics12111586/s1.

This dataset is associated with the following publication: Cho, S., L. Hiott, Q. Read, J. Damashek, J. Westrich, M. Edwards, R. Seim, D. Glinski, J. Bateman McDonald, E. Ottesen, E. Lipp, M. Henderson, C. Jackson, and J. Frye. Distribution of Antibiotic Resistance in a Mixed-Use Watershed and the Impact of Wastewater Treatment Plants on Antibiotic Resistance in Surface Water. The Journal of Antibiotics. Springer Nature, New York, NY, USA, 12(11): 1586, (2023).