Our 2014 Swimmable Waters project has come to a close. Many, many thanks to The Pittsburgh Foundation for generously providing the funding for this important initiative. Throughout the course of the summer, we conducted E. coli sampling at 15 locations throughout the Youghiogheny River watershed. Eight sites were on the main stem of the Yough. Tributaries sampled included Sewickley Creek, Indian Creek, Morgan Run, Blue Hole Creek, Meadow Run, Laurel Hill Creek, and the Casselman River.
Many thanks to YOU, our members and supporters, for letting us know where you recreate and for suggesting sampling locations for this project. Also, we are grateful to all of the area businesses that distributed promotional materials for the project.
We offer the following conclusions.
1) The watershed, in particular the upper reaches (Connellsville and above), has relatively low levels of E. coli and is appropriate for contact recreation. Rest assured– the water’s fine for kayaking or swimming in the Yough from Confluence to above the dam in South Connellsville. Some streams that are popular for swimming are very clean. These include Blue Hole Creek in Somerset County and Morgan Run in Fayette County.
2) Some locations occasionally exhibit problematic levels. These include Meadow Run in Ohiopyle State Park, the Yough at Connellsville, the Yough at Boston, and the Casselman River near Fort Hill. It is best to avoid these areas for 48 hours after a rain event in order to reduce your exposure to E. coli bacteria.
2) Some locations repeatedly exhibit high levels of E. coli and should be avoided entirely. These sites include the Yough at Scotthaven and McKeesport and Hutchy Beach on Sewickley Creek.
As always, results from this sampling are available on the Waterkeeper Swim Guide. We advise river users to use these results in making decisions about where to safely recreate. Some locations will continue to be sampled quarterly– be sure to regularly check the Swim Guide for updated information.
The Swim Guide recently published an excellent blog post about how to stay healthy on the water this fall. The post offers the following facts:
Fact #1: Contaminated water can affect your health, even if you are not swimming
Fact #2: Your activity and skill level determine your level of exposure to contaminated water
Fact #3: You are less likely to get sick from contaminated water if you are familiar with water quality issues and pollution sources
For more information, please visit The Swim Guide.
Thank you for your interest in our Swimmable Waters project and for your support as we work toward swimmable, fishable and drinkable water throughout the Youghiogheny River watershed!