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Officials warn of E. coli contaminants in San Pedro
Tue, 08/10/2010 - 00:34
BY DANA COLE /HERALD/REVIEW
SIERRA VISTA - People are being advised to stay out of a section of the San Pedro River in the St. David area because of potential health concerns from E. coli contaminated water.
Arizona Department of Environmental Quality officials have identified a steady increase in E. coli along a 17-mile stretch of river extending from the mouth of Babocomari River near Fairbank - a tributary to the San Pedro - to the mouth of Dragoon Wash near St. David.
On Friday, the ADEQ announced that a $265,551 grant has been awarded to Coronado Resource Conservation & Development, Inc., to form a watershed improvement council and rectify E. coli problems identified in the San Pedro River. In addition, the project will be tasked with identifying sources of E. coli in the affected area and developing a comprehensive plan to address the problem, said Mark Shaffer, ADEQ director of communications.
"We've been studying this section of the river for a number of years now, and started noting E. coli exceedences in 2000 with a real spike between 2004 and 2008," Shaffer said. "We have real concerns with that part of the river and that's why we're investing so much money down there. This represents the second largest amount of money we awarded in this grant cycle."
Warm summer temperatures, along with areas of still, pooling water exasperate the problem, he added.
The affected section of the Upper San Pedro River is listed as an impaired waterway by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency because of the E. coli exceedances.
When determing the E. coli pollution, ADEQ looks at a measurement called Total Maximum Daily Load, or the amount of pollutant a stream can receive and still meet water quality standards. A TMDL study indentifies sources of pollution and attempts to determine the reductions needed to attain water quality standards.
Sources of the E. coli are believed to be from a number of contributing factors, said Shaffer. They include trash and debris left by illegal immigrants walking along the river, such recreational activities as hiking, horseback riding and off-road vehicles, septic tanks in close proximity to the waterway and cattle grazing operations in the area. Waste Water Improvement ponds in Huachuca City in close proxmity to the Babocomari are another possiblity, Shaffer added.
The Babocomari River and its tributaries contribute to streamflow in the San Pedro River and support their own riparian habitats, as well as the riparian habitat of the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area.
In addition to forming the local oversight watershed council and developing a water quality improvement plan, the grant money will be used to develop a long-term monitoring and implementation strategy for the river. Assessing water quality in the designated section of the San Pedro is another function of the council.
"Environmental stewardship and education about pollution go hand-in-hand," ADEQ Director Benjamin H. Grumbles said. "ADEQ is pleased to provide this money to the Coronado Resource group to increase awareness and prevent bacterial pollution in one of the most vital and ecologically significant waterways in the nation."
ADEQ's Water Quality Improvement Grant program is funded through a partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the Clean Water Act. Its goal is to form a collaborative partnership between different stakeholder groups that have an interest in the San Pedro River, to include recreational interests, ranching, conservationists, as well as municipalities, Shaffer said.
"We want to create a working relationship between the different stakeholders so they come together to help resolve this problem," he added. "Our experience has been that people in Southeastern Arizona are very proactive when it comes to protecting the San Pedro River."
Find out more
For information about the watershed improvement council, call Mark Shaffer at Arizona Department of Environmental Quality at (602) 771-2215 or e-mail ms15@azdeq.gov.
Information about the San Pedro River and ADEQ's monitoring efforts can be found by going to the ADEQ website at www.azdeq.gov/environ/water/assessment/tmdl.html.
BY DANA COLE /HERALD/REVIEW
SIERRA VISTA - People are being advised to stay out of a section of the San Pedro River in the St. David area because of potential health concerns from E. coli contaminated water.
Arizona Department of Environmental Quality officials have identified a steady increase in E. coli along a 17-mile stretch of river extending from the mouth of Babocomari River near Fairbank - a tributary to the San Pedro - to the mouth of Dragoon Wash near St. David.
On Friday, the ADEQ announced that a $265,551 grant has been awarded to Coronado Resource Conservation & Development, Inc., to form a watershed improvement council and rectify E. coli problems identified in the San Pedro River. In addition, the project will be tasked with identifying sources of E. coli in the affected area and developing a comprehensive plan to address the problem, said Mark Shaffer, ADEQ director of communications.
"We've been studying this section of the river for a number of years now, and started noting E. coli exceedences in 2000 with a real spike between 2004 and 2008," Shaffer said. "We have real concerns with that part of the river and that's why we're investing so much money down there. This represents the second largest amount of money we awarded in this grant cycle."
Warm summer temperatures, along with areas of still, pooling water exasperate the problem, he added.
The affected section of the Upper San Pedro River is listed as an impaired waterway by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency because of the E. coli exceedances.
When determing the E. coli pollution, ADEQ looks at a measurement called Total Maximum Daily Load, or the amount of pollutant a stream can receive and still meet water quality standards. A TMDL study indentifies sources of pollution and attempts to determine the reductions needed to attain water quality standards.
Sources of the E. coli are believed to be from a number of contributing factors, said Shaffer. They include trash and debris left by illegal immigrants walking along the river, such recreational activities as hiking, horseback riding and off-road vehicles, septic tanks in close proximity to the waterway and cattle grazing operations in the area. Waste Water Improvement ponds in Huachuca City in close proxmity to the Babocomari are another possiblity, Shaffer added.
The Babocomari River and its tributaries contribute to streamflow in the San Pedro River and support their own riparian habitats, as well as the riparian habitat of the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area.
In addition to forming the local oversight watershed council and developing a water quality improvement plan, the grant money will be used to develop a long-term monitoring and implementation strategy for the river. Assessing water quality in the designated section of the San Pedro is another function of the council.
"Environmental stewardship and education about pollution go hand-in-hand," ADEQ Director Benjamin H. Grumbles said. "ADEQ is pleased to provide this money to the Coronado Resource group to increase awareness and prevent bacterial pollution in one of the most vital and ecologically significant waterways in the nation."
ADEQ's Water Quality Improvement Grant program is funded through a partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the Clean Water Act. Its goal is to form a collaborative partnership between different stakeholder groups that have an interest in the San Pedro River, to include recreational interests, ranching, conservationists, as well as municipalities, Shaffer said.
"We want to create a working relationship between the different stakeholders so they come together to help resolve this problem," he added. "Our experience has been that people in Southeastern Arizona are very proactive when it comes to protecting the San Pedro River."
Find out more
For information about the watershed improvement council, call Mark Shaffer at Arizona Department of Environmental Quality at (602) 771-2215 or e-mail ms15@azdeq.gov.
Information about the San Pedro River and ADEQ's monitoring efforts can be found by going to the ADEQ website at www.azdeq.gov/environ/water/assessment/tmdl.html.
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