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79 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, August 5, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Prime Times Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend July 24, 2004 Dante, 4, and Tazio, 2, explore Lithia Park�s Ashland Creek wading area Friday with the help of their father, George Dondero, who says he�s always careful about the kids� exposure to the potentially contaminated creek water. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Splash safety Creek contamination can occur when conditions are right, health officials warn By ANITA BURKE Mail Tribune Dante Dondero, 4, and his little brother Tazio, 2, head to Lithia Park almost every day to splash in Ashland Creek during the heat of summer. Dad George Dondero keeps a tight hold on Tazio’s hand and won’t let Dante wander far. He also watches for signs warning about water quality problems. "I don’t think they care," Dondero said, gesturing to his sons dabbling in the swirling water. "But I’m always concerned." Contamination from bacteria, viruses and parasites worsen as summer heat drops water levels and sends more people seeking a splash of cool in area swimming holes. Advertisement So far, Ashland Creek is safe for wading. It drew a crowd on Friday, when temperatures in the Rogue Valley hit 104 degrees. "It’s cooler down here by the water in the shade," Ashland resident JoAnn Scott said. She perched on a boulder, dangling her feet in the cool water while her son Christian, 5, clambered over wet rocks nearby. "You just don’t feel the heat down here," she said. The Rogue Valley Council of Governments monitors more than a dozen streams in the Bear Creek drainage and issues warnings when bacteria levels top state and county standards for safe swimming and wading. "We just try to make people aware so they can be safe about getting in the water," said Allison Dew, water quality analyst with the council. The testing program checks for E. coli, a fecal coliform bacteria that can cause illness and is a good indicator of other dangerous contamination, she said. Contaminated water can cause infections in open wounds as well as diarrhea, cramps and fever if it’s swallowed. Cities post cautionary signs in areas where officials know people are likely to access streams that are contaminated, Dew said. The Rogue Valley Council of Governments’ water quality program also tests bacteria levels in the Rogue River monthly. Large rivers with plenty of water in them are less likely to get dangerously contaminated, although readings can fluctuate through the summer, Dew said. "I personally would go to a large river," she said. With the National Weather Service’s forecast calling for a high of 102 today and 97 on Sunday, Dew plans to seek out some watery coolness herself. "I’m going to Lost Creek (Lake). It’s big," she said. The Jackson County Parks Department checks water quality at its parks at Emigrant, Howard Prairie and Willow lakes. It hasn’t reported any problems this summer. Hazardous waters The following are on a list of hazardous creeks in the Bear Creek basin, as tested by the Rogue Valley Council of Governments: Ashland: Neil and Butler creeks Central Point: Jackson and Griffin creeks Medford: Larson and Lone Pine creeks Phoenix: Payne and Coleman creeks Talent: Wagner Creek Not all creeks in the Bear Creek watershed are tested. For questions about a particular waterway, contact Greg Stabach or Allison Dew at RVCOG, 664-6676, exts. 219 and 212, respectively. For questions or concerns regarding failing septic systems, call Jackson County Roads, Parks and Planning Services at 774-6900. To report other pollutants being discharged into local creeks, call the state Department of Environmental Quality at 776-6010. For health-related questions regarding contact with local fresh water, contact Jackson County Health and Human Services at 774-8206. Reach reporter Anita Burke at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times