MEDFORD, Ore. -- The Rogue Valley Council of Governments Natural Resources Department is issuing a Creek Safety Watch today for parts of Jackson County's Bear Creek Watershed.
Rogue Valley Council of Governments (RVCG) says today routine water quality testing results show some creeks exceeded state bacteria standards for contact recreation (swimming, wading, etc.). Those creeks are:
RVCG is advising residents to use caution when in contact with any waterways and especially to avoid ingestion, which could cause illness, and avoid water contact with open wounds, which could cause infection. It says, "Very young children should be fully supervised when playing in the water to avoid swallowing the water. It is important to note that contact with any water body – creeks, rivers, lakes, or swimming pools – carries some level of risk."
RVCG says possible creek high bacteria level sources are pet waste, livestock waste, wild animals, leaking septic systems, illegal dumping from portable toilets or RVs, or any other activity causes "discharge of fecal matter directly into creeks or through storm drains."
It asks people to inform proper agencies of any pollutant concerns, "Failing septic systems and other pollutants discharged into streams should be reported to the Department of Environmental Quality. Complaints can be reported to the complaint hotline at 1-888-997-7888 or online at http://www.deq.state.or.us/complaints/rep.htm ."
It also asks people to pick up after your pets' waste, to keep manure, kitty litter and other waste material away from creeks and storm drains, to have septic systems inspected and repaired if failing, and to put toddlers in swim diapers.
It offers more information at http://rvcog.org/what-we-do/natural-resources/ , the Stream Smart Monitoring Water Quality in the Rogue Basin webpage http://www.stream-smart.com/monitoring-water-quality-in-the-rogue-basin/ , the Oregon Department of Human Services www.egov.oregon.gov/DHS , and the Environmental Protection Agency http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/criteria/humanhealth/ .
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