Friday, August 10, 2007

Watershed Restoration & Protection Strategy Group

Roger McKinney reports in The Joplin Globe, Flow of Ideas, Group Establishes Top Environmental Priorities for Spring River, the progress that the Spring River Watershed Restoration & Protection Strategy Group (SRWR&PSG) made at its meeting, Thursday, August 9, Baxter Springs, KS. The group, supported by See-Kan RC&D along with Pittsburg State University, identified: clean drinking water as the #1 priority, a healthy and abundant aquatic life as #2, and safe water for recreation as the #3 priority.

Groups attending or represented at the Strategy meeting were:

  • Harry S. Truman Coordinating Council of Southwest Missouri - Craig Jones
  • Elk River Watershed Improvement Association
  • Southwest Missouri Water Quality Improvement Project
  • Upper Shoal Creek Watershed Improvement Group-Barry County
  • Shoal Creek Watershed Partnership
  • Grand Lake of the Cherokees Watershed Foundation - Carl Metcalf & John Gillette
  • Pittsburg State University - Shirley Drew, Jim Triplett
  • Cherokee County Health Department - Carl Hayes
This was the fourth meeting of the SRWR&PSG. Carl Metcalf is quoted as saying that the group strives to be cooperative rather than confrontational, and having representatives from Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma is critical. Previously, the group had targeted Spring River issues, including (1) water quality and the contamination from heavy metals and fecal bacteria; (2) water quality and the depletion of the area aquifer by large consumers in Missouri; and (3) the stability of the river banks.

Septic tanks continue to be a contributing cause of water contamination, according to a presentation by Craig Jones. He said that 70% of septic systems in Missouri are considered to be failing. Jim Triplett added that the soil type in southeast Kansas is mostly clay, which is not good for septic tanks.

The groups next meeting will be Thursday, Septemeber 6, 2007.

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

E. coli test Results - Spring River (Jasper County)

The Jasper County Health Department began testing for E. coli bacteria in Spring River on May 24, 2007. They selected seven sites for weekly testing, including: Spring River at County Road 3 (referenced as SR1), Spring River at County Road 85 (SR2), Spring River at Kellogg Lake-Carthage (SR3), Spring River at Francis Street-Carthage (SR4), Spring River at Quaker Mill on County Lane 216 (SR5), and Spring River at Kafir and State Line (SR7).

The test results are shown as # of colonies of E. coli bacteria per 100 milliliters of river water. The data in Bold indicates that the # of colonies are in excess of the maximum recommended by the US EPA for bodily contact, which is 235 colonies of E. coli per 100 milliliter of water sampled. The data is arranged by sampling site, with the latest data 'on top'.

Spring River at County Road 3 (SR1)
10/19/2007, 77.6
09/25/2007, 83.9
09/19/2007, 131.4
09/05/2007, 387.3
09/05/2007, 325.5
08/29/2007, 158.5
08/21/2007, 2,419.6+
08/14/2007, 75.9
08/07/2007, 64.3
07/31/2007, 82.3
07/24/2007, 101.4
07/17/2007, 172.3
07/10/2007, 1986.3
07/02/2007, 1046.2
06/26/2007, 816.4
06/19/2007, 290.9
06/13/2007, 870.4
06/05/2007, 517.2
05/30/2007, 107.1
05/24/2007, 114.5

Spring River at County Road 85 (SR2)
10/19/2007, 135.4
09/25/2007, 142.1
09/19/2007, 172.3
09/05/2007, 920.8
09/05/2007, 248.1
08/29/2007, 129.6
08/21/2007, 1,119.9
08/14/2007, 35.9
08/07/2007, 70.3
07/31/2007, 91
07/24/2007, 161.6
07/17/2007, 95.9
07/10/2007, 228.2
07/02/2007, 920.8
06/26/2007, 547.5
06/19/2007, 128.1
06/13/2007, 1732.9
06/05/2007, 613.1
05/30/2007, 112.6
05/24/2007, 52.9

Spring River at Kellogg Lake-Carthage (SR3)
10/18/2007, 461.1
09/25/2007, 125
09/19/2007, 113
09/05/2007, 517.2
09/05/2007, 410.6
08/29/2007, 81.6
08/21/2007, 2,419.6+
08/14/2007, 46.4
08/07/2007, 41.7
07/31/2007, 88.2
07/24/2007, 72.3
07/17/2007, 95.9
07/10/2007, 116
07/02/2007, 1299.7
06/26/2007, 225.4
06/19/2007, 161.6
06/13/2007, 2419.6
06/05/2007, 365.4
05/30/2007, 148.3
05/24/2007, 18.7

Spring River at Francis Street-Carthage (SR4)
10/19/2007, 248.1
09/25/2007, 93.4
09/19/2007, 100.8
09/05/2007, 517.2
09/05/2007, 435.2
08/29/2007, 83.9
08/21/2007, 2,419.6+
08/14/2007, 31.2
08/07/2007, 69.7
07/31/2007, 88.6
07/24/2007, 95.9
07/17/2007, 77.6
07/10/2007, 235.9
07/02/2007, 1203.3
06/26/2007, 328.2
06/19/2007, 172.3
06/13/2007, 1986.3
06/05/2007, 290.9
05/30/2007, 131.4
05/24/2007, 45

Spring River at Quaker Mill on County Lane 216 (SR5)
10/19/2007, 93.3
09/25/2007, 74.9
09/19/2007, 101
09/05/2007, 613.1
09/05/2007, 172.3
08/28/2007, 151.5
08/21/2007, 2,419.6+
08/14/2007, 81.3
08/07/2007, 91
07/31/2007, 116.9
07/24/2007, 57.3
07/17/2007, 93.3
07/10/2007, 816.4
07/02/2007, 980.4
06/26/2007, 101.7
06/19/2007, 240
06/14/2007, 156.5
06/05/2007, 344.8
05/30/2007, 135.4
05/24/2007, 127.4

Spring River at County Road 270 (SR6)
10/19/2007, 113.7
09/25/2007, 53.8
09/19/2007, 107.1
09/05/2007, 344.8
09/05/2007, 122.3
08/28/2007, 285.1
08/21/2007, 2,419.6+
08/14/2007, 71.2
08/07/2007, 75.9
07/31/2007, 167
07/24/2007, 125
07/17/2007, 72.7
07/10/2007, 167.4
07/02/2007, 686.7
06/26/2007, 648.8
06/19/2007, 191.8
06/14/2007, 160.7
06/05/2007, 344.8
05/30/2007, 325.5
05/24/2007, 67

Spring River at Kafir and State Line (SR7)
10/19/2007, 161.6
09/25/2007, 59.8
09/19/2007, 75.4
09/05/2007, 225.4
09/05/2007, 172.5
08/28/2007, 158.5
08/21/2007, 2,419.6+
08/14/2007, 40.5
08/07/2007, 39.1
07/31/2007, 135.4
07/24/2007, 86
07/17/2007, 78.9
07/10/2007, 156.5
07/02/2007, 648.8
06/26/2007, 95.9
06/19/2007, 178
06/13/2007, 151.5
06/05/2007, 261.3
05/30/2007, 209.8
05/24/2007, 69.7

For further information, contact:
Jasper County Health Department
105 Lincoln
Carthage, MO 64836
417/358-3111
417/358-0494 (fax)
moehra@lpha.dhss.mo.gov (e-mail)
877-879-9131 (toll free)
8:30 - 4:30 (hours)

Sunday, August 05, 2007

Spring River Watershed Stakeholder Leadership Team

SEE-Kan RC&D (US Department of Agriculture, Resource Conservation and Development) has announced a Spring River Watershed Stakeholder Leadership Team meeting for Thursday, August 9, 2007, 4-6:30 pm, at the Baxter Springs Community Center, 1101 East Avenue. The Joplin Globe reported (Sunday, August 5, 2007) that See-Kan RC&D, and Pittsburg State University are facilitating the meeting, to help develop a team of stakeholders who will provide leadership and direction for restoring the watershed. Craig Jones with the Harry S. Truman Coordinating Council will provide the group with information regarding water protection strategies in Missouri. For more information, call 620-431-6180.