Moderate E.coli alert for creeks

The word on the water is somewhat better this week than last: There are three moderately high E.coli alerts for swimming holes in Etowah County and the surrounding area, according to the Coosa Riverkeeper.

Big Canoe Creek, Big Wills Creek and Coldwater Creek registered levels of E.coli that prompted alerts this week, according to the riverkeeper’s weekly Swim Guide, developed through water quality tests on samples taken each Thursday from several different recreational water sites.

As always, the staff at the Coosa Riverkeeper cautions that rain events can alter the water quality, typically increasing the E.coli level because of agricultural and other runoff.

At Big Canoe Creek, the E.coli level was 146.7; it was 224.7 at Big Wills Creek and 157.2 at Coldwater Creek.

The level at Attalla City Park had improved to 119.8 per 100 milliliters; last week the park was one of the moderate alert sites. Last month, it was on high alert with 275 per 100 mL in one week’s sampling.

E. coli levels at designated swimming beaches should not exceed 88 per 100 mL.