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Bear Creek Valley creeks that fail to meet federal water quality standards, listed by name, location and problems, include: Ashland Creek, Ashland, bacteria; Bear Creek, valleywide, bacteria, flow modification, habitat modification, temperature; Butler Creek, Ashland, bacteria, temperature; Coleman Creek, Phoenix, bacteria, temperature; Crooked Creek, Medford, bacteria Emigrant Creek, Ashland, temperature; Griffin Creek, Medford, bacteria, temperature; Jackson Creek, Central Point, bacteria, temperature Larson Creek, Medford, bacteria, temperature; Lazy Creek, Medford, bacteria; Lone Pine Creek, Medford, temperature; Neil Creek, Ashland, temperature; Payne Creek, Phoenix, bacteria; Wagner Creek, Talent, temperature; Walker Creek, Ashland, temperature Local streams, rivers make federal list of dirtiest Twelve percent of Oregon's rivers and streams fail to meet federal water quality standards, including 90 in the Rogue River basin. The biggest waterway problem in Jackson County remains Bear Creek, which state environmental regulators rate one of the lowest-quality streams in Oregon. But the Rogue, Applegate and Illinois rivers all make the new federal list, which is compiled every two years and now includes 1,067 rivers and streams and 30 lakes. Problems that can result in a failing federal water quality grade include bacteria, temperature, low flows caused by irrigation, lack of streamside plants and animals, sedimentation and lack of non-fish animals that live in water. To many people, the most significant water-quality problem is high counts of fecal coliform, which makes the water a hazard to humans. The source of those problems can be hard to pinpoint, says Bill Meyers, water resources project coordinator for the Rogue Valley Council of Governments. "You've got possible septic system inputs, runoffs from pastures, inputs from wildlife, illegal dumping down our storm sewers, all of which connect directly into the creek," he said. Water quality in the Bear Creek Valley is monitored year-round at 28 sites, he said, and although Bear Creek's water has improved, there's still a long way to go. "A lot of it is a matter of choice and our personal values. It'd be great to have Bear Creek be a viable place to fish," he said. Regionwide, nine creeks in the Applegate basin fail to meet federal standards, as do 24 creeks in the Illinois drainage, 24 on the Lower Rogue below Grave Creek, 30 on the Middle Rogue from Grave Creek to White City, and 26 on the Upper Rogue. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1998, Medford, Oregon USA