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Gainesville area creek contamination


JennFossil

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Hello,

We only hear about E coli contamination in Hogtown Creek, are the other creeks in the area also contaminated. Is it worth going to the other creeks to find shark teeth? On blogs I only hear about Hogtown, Possum and Rattlesnake as the main creeks for shark teeth finds.

Thanks for your help!

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Im not familiar with your watershed but I can tell you that most every wastewater treatment plant in the country discharges into a body of water.  Well, maybe not in Death Valley, but..

Treatment plants tend to get overwhelmed during rain events due to storm water entering the sewer system.  When this happens, most facilities are permitted to release untreated water to prevent damage and sewage back up.

So if there is a treatment plant located on a creek just bring hand sanitizer and use it prior to eatting your lunch;)

It's hard to remember why you drained the swamp when your surrounded by alligators.

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I would advise against going into an E Coli infested creek, especially if any of that water gets up your nose, in your mouth, or comes in contact with an exposed cut or wound. I don't know the area, but any site downstream of the outbreak would also likely be affected, and if it is the main creek then nearby tributaries would as well. Maybe going over to another drainage basin would be the best option.

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What level of E. coli is present in the streams?  Some amount of E. coli is found in virtually every watercourse.  E. coli is universally present in the intestines of bovines and other livestock, as well as humans.  Any river or stream that goes through pasture land will have some E. coli; human sewage is certainly not the only source.  Unless fecal coliform counts are very high, normal sanitation measures, including avoiding drinking the water, exposing open cuts or wounds to the water, and thorough hand washing with soap (regular soap is just as effective as "antibacterial soap") should be sufficient.

 

People should also be aware that any stream, no matter how pristine in appearance, can harbor parasites such as Girardia, Cryptosporidium, and many others.  Water should always be treated before consumption if you want to be assured of avoiding potential problems.

 

Don

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Thanks all! A posted sign "creek closed due to fecal bacteria" is up at one of the entrances to the main creek through a park. I believe it was on the news arpund March 21st. Last November the same type of posted sign was up further north at another entrance to the same creek (Hogtown Creek is quite large and goes through entire city with many tributaries). Both signs state that the creek is closed. Not really sure what the solutions the city does for this and how long the creek will be contaminated. If any of you are in North central Florida, it hasn't rained for a while and no signifanct rain over a period of days in the past several months. I did venture to the headwaters this past weekend and it was bone dry. 

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