Through our comprehensive water quality monitoring program, we are documenting baseline water quality throughout the watershed. We sample quarterly for several different parameters, one of which is E. coli. E. coli is a bacterium found in the intestines of humans and animals, and is a common indicator of fecal contamination—from farms, failing sewage treatment or septic systems or – in some places—a lack of sewage treatment altogether. Swimming in water with high levels of E. coli can pose a serious health threat.
Documenting E. coli levels in streams with a lot of contact recreation—like the Yough—is very important. Swimming, kayaking, and rafting are very common activities and occur along the entire main stem of the river. Whether you’re kayaking the Upper Yough in Friendsville, canoeing the Middle downstream of Confluence, rafting the Lower in Ohiopyle or floating downstream of Connellsville on an intertube, you are coming into contact with the river. We’re fortunate to have so many recreational opportunities available in our watershed, but the high incidence of contact recreation in the Yough underscores the importance of documenting E. coli and other dangerous pollutants so that safe and unsafe areas can be identified before people get sick.
Lake Ontario Waterkeeper and Waterkeeper Alliance recently launched the Swim Guide, an online website and mobile app dedicated to providing information about water quality conditions at beaches and swimming holes across Canada and the United States. As of August 2013, you can find information about conditions in the Yough! We’re currently contributing the results of our quarterly E. coli monitoring to the Swim Guide. Check out the Swim Guide at www.theswimguide.com to see conditions for the Yough at Friendsville, Confluence, Ohiopyle and Connellsville, as well as Meadow Run. We’ll soon be posting several other locations, so stay tuned. Note that since we’re sampling quarterly rather than daily you will not see this information updated often, but it does provide you with valuable baseline information you can use in determining where it is safe to swim.
The good news? The Yough looks great, so get out there and enjoy yourself before the snow flies! Unfortunately, some of the Yough’s tribs aren’t faring so well and we’re currently examining methods for identifying the sources of pollution in these areas.
The vision of the Waterkeeper movement is for fishable, swimmable and drinkable waterways worldwide. As the Youghiogheny Riverkeeper and the public advocate for the Youghiogheny River, we are working toward that vision right here in the Laurel Highlands region. We’re happy to be able to share this valuable information with you through the Swim Guide so you can make informed decisions about where to swim and paddle.
Please consider making a contribution to our Yough Defense Fund to support our water quality monitoring. Thanks!