Archive

Dear River Friends,

Here is the spreadsheet ecoli 6.26.14 with the results of this week’s river quality health data for samples taken by our beloved Bacteria People on Thursday morning, June 26, 2014.

As you can see, three of the eleven sites exceeded the E. coli counts for Class B waters in the State of New Hampshire. That is the standard for the Merrimack River (up to 406 counts of E. coli per 100 milliliters of water). The standard for designated swim beaches (and Class A waters) is 88 counts, which means all of out sites failed that standard. These samples were taken after heavy rains following a relatively long dry period so all pet and farm animal waste as well as that from failed septic systems and wildlife were flushed in to the Merrimack and its tributaries.

This reinforces the message that “When it rains; it’s poor.” That means that swimming or other aquatic activities aren’t the best plan right after heavy rains.

Please never hesitate to contact us should you have any questions. Best wishes for a happy and healthy weekend.
—
Michele L. Tremblay, UMMP Program Director
and
Steve Landry, Sampling Supervisor
Upper Merrimack Monitoring Program
Upper Merrimack River Local Advisory Committee
http://www.merrimackriver.org/

Please be sure to visit us at www.MerrimackRiver.org to learn more about the UMRLAC and its programs. You can also view the meeting schedule and download publications. We look forward to hearing from you.