Testing our Water

In 2021, Pearl Riverkeeper volunteers conducted over 260 E.coli bacteria tests at 20 Pearl River, Strong River, Bogue Chitto River and Ross Barnett Reservoir locations in order to provide you with information about whether it was safe to recreate!

•  Our volunteers are trained in the testing and Quality Assurance protocols developed by Alabama Water Watch, taught by MS State Extension Water Stewards and certified by EPA Region 4. 
•  Neither the MS Department of Environmental Quality nor the MS Department of Public Health conduct this type of weekly E.coli testing on our freshwater rivers and reservoirs.   We think that's a shame, so our volunteers are testing your favorite Pearl River watershed locations to keep you informed!

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What is E.coli?
E. coli, a bacteria found in the intestines of warm-blooded animals, can enter our waterways through agricultural runoff, wildlife, and leaking septic/sewer systems.  Human risk of getting sick from recreating in open water increases as E. coli concentration increases and young people and people with a compromised immune system are at greater risk.  E.coli itself can cause illnesses such as "swimmer's ear", upset stomach, and diarrhea, and E.coli can also indicate the presence of other more harmful bacteria such as Salmonella, Shigella and Giardia.

In 2021, ​Pearl Riverkeeper volunteers conducted E.coli testing at these locations:

• Upper Pearl: Highway 35, Old Highway 13, Coal Bluff, Leake County Water Park
• Ross Barnett Reservoir: Lakeshore Park
• ​Lower Pearl: Purple Creek, Westbrook Dr, Belhaven Beach, Crystal Lake, Mill Creek, Columbia Water Park, West Pearl River-LA, East Pearl River-LA
• Strong River: D'Lo Water Park, Sellers Creek at Hwy 149 and S Main
• Merit Water Park
• Bogue Chitto River: New River Rd, Dillons Bridge

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​Results are posted on the Pearl Riverkeeper website, Swim Guide website, Water Rangers website and through text alerts.  MS Water Stewards uses the "stoplight system".  

• Green = Go!  Most recent E.coli test results indicate water relatively safe for human contact (0-200 cfu/100 mL)
• Yellow = Caution!  ​Most recent E.coli test results indicate increasing risk for human illness (>200-600 cfu/100 mL)
• Red = Stop! Most recent E.coli test results indicate water relatively unsafe for human contact (>600 cfu/100mL

​Below are pie charts listing the percentages of Pass (E.coli levels within Green or Yellow levels) and Fail (E.coli levels in the Red or "relatively unsafe for human contact") for each location during the 2021 testing year. ​

Upper Pearl : Hwy 35

Lakeshore Park

Upper Pearl : Hwy 13

Purple Creek

Leake County WP

Westbrook Rd

Upper Pearl : Coal Bluff

LeFleurs Bluff SP

Belhaven Beach

Sellers S Main

Crystal Lake

Merit Water Park

D'Lo Water Park

Mill Creek Foxworth

Sellers Hwy 149

Columbia WP

Bogue Chitto : New River Rd

Bogue Chitto : Dillons Bridge

West Pearl River

East Pearl River

What's next?  Pearl Riverkeeper is continually expanding our citizen science water quality monitoring program. MS Water Stewards will be training another group of Bacteriological and Water Chemistry Monitoring volunteers in April 2022.  Water Chemistry and Bacteriological Monitoring at the Jackson area locations will be used to assess impacts to the Pearl River and its urban tributaries from sanitary sewer overflows and leaks. Additional water testing locations on the Strong River and Sellers Creek will be assessed to help determine the source of the high E.coli levels in those locations. Water Chemistry Monitoring volunteers will continue to look for trends in water quality by  testing for pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, hardness, alkalinity and temperature. 

HOW CAN YOU GET INVOLVED?

• Volunteer for our Pearl Riverkeeper Water Stewards 
• Text "PRKSWIMGUIDE" to 844-83 to receive water quality alerts by text message
• Support our work financially by becoming a member  ​

Thank you to all of our volunteers, supporters, MS Water Stewards and our sponsor, Patagonia, for making this year of water testing a huge success!