Document text
- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us July 23, 2005 Creek has dangerous bacteria Annual warning signs posted in Lithia Park By Jeremy Judd Tidings Correspondent Though recent water quality tests indicate that the Lithia Park swimming reservoir and Ashland Creek contain potentially unhealthy amounts of fecal coliform and E. coli, that hasn’t deterred some Ashland residents from swimming in the reservoir. ADVISORY Though the creek and reservoir are not legally closed for swimming, it is strongly recommended that people stay out of the water until water quality improves. Ashland resident Zeb Lancaster spent his Friday afternoon swimming in the reservoir, despite the posted warnings and a conversation with Ashland Parks and Recreation personnel. Lancaster said he obeyed the signs when the same condition existed last year, but after learning that Ashland Parks and Recreation has nothing on file indicating people have gotten sick from the water, and speaking with a resident who said she had swum in the reservoir since childhood and never gotten sick, he decided it would be all right to swim. “I imagine if it were more serious there would be more [community] alarm about it,” Lancaster said. Program manager for Jackson County’s Environment Health division Gary Stevens said recent water tests conducted by the private company Neilson Research revealed a higher than acceptable amount of fecal coliform and E. coli. The acceptable amount is about 406 parts per million per milliliter. Ashland Creek is at about 460 parts per million per milliliter. Stevens said that above the 406-ppm mark, there is a known risk of transmission of disease. He recommended that those spending time in the park reduce or eliminate any water contact. In order to become sick from contact with the water it would have to be ingested. “You’d have to get it in your mouth, directly or indirectly,” Stevens said. According to Stevens, it is more probable that the contamination comes from animals than humans, but he cautioned that children should wear swim diapers when levels are acceptable for recreational swimming again. Ashland Parks and Recreation has posted signs along Ashland Creek and around the reservoir to inform park goers of the danger. Director of Ashland Parks and Recreation Don Robertson said of the situation, “It’s obviously a concern because the health department asked us to close it down.” Robertson noted that this isn’t the first time the water has been contaminated. “Typically, when the weather warms up and the stream flow lessens, the rate appears to be higher,” he said. Robertson said that the contamination could be “a result of anything from leaking septic systems to ducks.” As far as trying to cure the problem in the future, Robertson said, “Until the actual sources are identified, it’s tough to fix.” Though the creek and reservoir are not legally closed for swimming, it is strongly recommended that people stay out of the water until water quality improves. The Jackson County Health Department and Ashland Parks and Recreation recommend that a thorough washing with soap and water follow contact with water in the reservoir or in Ashland Creek. Those wishing to know more about the risks associated with the water should contact the Jackson County Health Department at 774-8206. DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Deep Muscle Stimulator Ceramic Piggy Banks FREE Entertainment Guide Women's & Men's Slippers Accelerate Weightloss Products Backpacks Online Pharmacy Vegas Travel Guide Search Engine Optimization Student Loans Hotel & Airline Reservations Hammocks Water Filter Helzberg Diamonds Online Casinos Community Bonus Casino Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Mailing Lists Click Here Advertisement .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams