Source Information
Cape Fear River Watch monitors the bacteria levels of recreational areas in the waterways of the Cape Fear River Basin. Indicator organisms monitored are E.coli and enterococcus. These pathogens are present in the gut of warm-blooded animals and humans and can pose health risks for swimmers, boaters, and anglers.
From April to October, Cape Fear River Watch collects water samples and provides up-to-date data on the health of our local waterways, viewable by the public. We hope to assist our community in making safe and smart decisions when it comes to recreating in our rivers and creeks. Samples are collected on a bi-weekly basis on Thursday, with results posted on our website and www.theswimguide.org on Friday. Beaches marked with a green icon have passed health safety standards, while those marked with a red icon have failed. A recreational area is marked green for pass if we find less than 235 E.coli colonies or less than 104 enterococci colonies in a 100 mL sample of water. Sites are marked red for fail if we find >235 E.coli colonies/100mL or >104 enterococci colonies/100mL.
