Thursday, June 16, 2011

Grand Lake Watershed Council

A new group called, Grand Lake o' the Cherokee Watershed Council, has started meeting to begin communicating, sharing and planning for the future. Representatives from Elk River, Shoal Creek (upper and lower), Spring River (Kansas and Missouri) and the Neosho River Basin Watersheds met with Grand Lake Watershed Alliance representatives in Joplin, in April. Possible goals and objectives of the group will be discussed at a meeting later this month. It is inspirational to be meeting with other watershed enthusiasts.

Spring River Watershed Partnership -update-

The Spring River Watershed Alliance met again this week to identify, and then prioritize the Best Management Practices (BMP) to be included in he group’s 319 Grant Application Plan. Representatives contributing to the process included, Jasper County Health Department, Harry S. Truman Coordinating Council, City of Carthage, Carthage Water and Electric Plant, Jasper County, University of Missouri Extension, Missouri Department of Conservation, Natural Resources and Conservation Service, Missouri Southern State University, and the Southwest Ozarks Stream Teams (SWOST).

Some items discussed included: Riparian Corridor improvement, encouraging Carthage residents to hook up to new sewer lines, complete a wetland study for a couple of Carthage’s storm water run off conduits, identify and get established commercial rain gardens, complete testing to identity animal/human sources of bacterial contamination, and work with SWOST to host a Carthage Area Water Festival and start new Carthage Stream Teams.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

E. coli Test Results for Spring River, 2011

The Jasper County Health Department began testing for E. coli bacteria in Spring River in May 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 following are test results for 2011.

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 Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) recommends a maximum of 126 E. coli colonies per 100 ml. as the limit for "recreational" swimming and whole body contact, annually between April 1 and October 31. The data is arranged by sampling site, with the latest data 'on top'.

Spring River at County Road 3 (SR1)
10/10/2011, 387.3
10/05/2011, 90.6
09/28/2011, 95.9
09/21/2011, 114.5
09/14/2011, 52.1
09/07/2011, 25.9
08/31/2011, 86
08/24/2011, 68.3
08/17/2011, 104.6
08/09/2011, 240
08/04/2011, 86
07/27/2001, 67.7
07/19/2011, 44.8
07/14/2011, 85.7
07/06/2011, 26.9
06/29/2011, 31.8
06/22/2011, 84.2
06/15/2011, 206.4
06/09/2011, 74.4
05/25/2011, 1,986.3

Spring River at County Road 85 (SR2)
10/10/2011, 517.2
10/05/2011, 137.6
09/28/2011, 218.2
09/21/2011, 116.9
09/14/2011, 31.3
09/07/2011, 47.9
08/31/2011, 68.3
08/24/2011, 71.2
08/17/2011, 65.7
08/09/2011, 151
08/04/2011, 150
07/27/2001, 37.6
07/19/2011, 62
07/14/2011, 66.3
07/06/2011, 29.8
06/29/2011, 71.2
06/22/2011, 56.5
06/15/2011, 108.6
06/09/2011, 59.8
05/25/2011, 2,149.6

Spring River at Kellogg Lake-Carthage (SR3)
10/10/2011, 67.7
10/05/2011, 52.9
09/28/2011, 116.9
09/21/2011, 2419.6
09/14/2011, 39.7
09/07/2011, 17.3
08/31/2011, 63.8
08/24/2011, 28.8
08/17/2011, 113.7
08/09/2011, 227.9
08/04/2011, 10.1
07/27/2001, 40.3
07/19/2011, 42.2
07/14/2011, 66.3
07/06/2011, 22.8
06/29/2011, 44.8
06/22/2011, 56.1
06/15/2011, 67
06/09/2011, 60.2
05/25/2011, 2,419.6

Spring River at Francis Street-Carthage (SR4)
10/10/2011, 55.6
10/05/2011, 60.5
09/28/2011, 83.6
09/21/2011, 1732.9
09/14/2011, 65.7
09/07/2011, 27.8
08/31/2011, 103.9
08/24/2011, 178.5
08/17/2011, 95.9
08/09/2011, 163.1
08/04/2011, 1986.3
07/27/2001, 45.9
07/19/2011, 69.7
07/14/2011, 39.3
07/06/2011, 31.3
06/29/2011, 41.4
06/22/2011, 56.5
06/15/2011, 39.7
06/09/2011, 67.6
05/25/2011, 1,732.9

Spring River at Quaker Mill on County Lane 216 (SR5)
10/10/2011, 124.6
10/05/2011, 86
09/28/2011, 66.3
09/21/2011, 88.2
09/14/2011, 36.5
09/07/2011, 30.5
08/31/2011, 46.5
08/24/2011, 35
08/17/2011, 53.6
08/09/2011, 148.3
08/04/2011, 88.9
07/27/2001, 83.6
07/19/2011, 70.5
07/14/2011, 71.7
07/06/2011, 98.8
06/29/2011, 96
06/22/2011, 107.1
06/15/2011, 90.5
06/09/2011, 86
05/25/2011, 2,419.6

Spring River at County Road 270 (SR6)
10/10/2011, 124.6
10/05/2011, 121.1
09/28/2011, 65
09/21/2011, 95.9
09/14/2011, 61.3
09/07/2011, 43.5
08/31/2011, 71.2
08/24/2011, 35.4
08/17/2011, 235.9
08/09/2011, 70.8
08/04/2011, 113.7
07/27/2001, 218.7
07/19/2011, 59.4
07/14/2011, 50.4
07/06/2011, 49.6
06/29/2011, 86
06/22/2011, 1413.6
06/15/2011, 58.3
06/09/2011, 101.7
05/25/2011, 2,419.6


Spring River at Kafir and State Line (SR7)
10/10/2011, 54.6
10/05/2011, 46.4
09/28/2011, 78.9
09/21/2011, 148.3
09/14/2011, 107.0
09/07/2011, 290.9
08/31/2011, 142.1
08/24/2011, 88.4
08/17/2011, 36.9
08/09/2011, 65.1
08/04/2011, 69.5
07/27/2001, 129.5
07/19/2011, 60.2
07/14/2011, 104.6
07/06/2011, 62.4
06/29/2011, 107.6
06/22/2011, 1299.7
06/15/2011, 71.2
06/09/2011, 93.3
05/25/2011, 1,986.3

For further information, contact:
Jasper County Health Department
105 Lincoln
Carthage, MO 64836
417/358-3111
417/358-0494 (fax)