[en] Bacteria isolated from ground water samples taken from springs at Yucca Mountain during 1993 were collected and processed. Three bacterial genera commonly found in water (Pseudomonas, Hydrogenophaga, and Alteromonas) were selected for extensive review during this quarter. The presence of bacteria representative of these genera in samples from the 18 springs sampled in Ash Meadows and from 14 springs in Death Valley was reviewed. The species level of identification of the three bacterial genera in water samples from the springs were examined by cluster analysis to see how much variation existed within a given species and also to determine if a species with essentially the same FAME pattern was isolated from several springs