River bacteria counts up again

GUERNEVILLE – Russian River bacteria levels exceeded state
health guidelines again last week at two crowded beaches where
warnings were posted saying “swimming not advised.”
Official warning signs went up at Healdsburg’s Veterans Memorial
Beach and at Guerneville’s Johnson’s Beach  after water samples
last Thursday showed bacteria levels exceeded state health
guidelines for recreational contact.
Subsequent samples have shown bacteria levels were back to safe
levels at both beaches this week, said Walt Kruse, director of
environmental health for the Sonoma County Health Department.
A warning sign remained up at Johnson’s Beach on Tuesday but
Kruse said   Johnson’s owner Clare Harris would be advised that 
the most recent bacteria tests  show safe levels.
In Healdsburg in the River below Memorial Beach dam, “We’ve had
absolutely no problem at all,” said Larry Laba of Russian River
Adventures, whose clients typically canoe and kayak the River from
Healdsburg down to the Wohler Bridge.
Laba said the Sonoma County Water Agency will be installing its
rubber dam at Wohler this week which could result in anticipated
lower flows when the water Agency is expected to cut releases from
Lake Mendocino to preserve water to release this fall for migrating
salmon.
“In our section of the River Dry Creek brings in pretty fresh
clean water,” said Laba. “It’s pretty darn clear and clean. So far
so good.”
River samples are being taken twice a week on Tuesdays and
Thursdays at a dozen points in the River from Cloverdale to the
estuary at Jenner this summer as part of a state-mandated
monitoring program.
The Johnson’s warning advisory Tuesday didn’t seem to faze 
sunbathers at the popular Guerneville beach where dozens of people
splashed in deep green water behind the Russian River Recreation
and Park District’s summer dam.
The water sample taken at Johnson’s last Thursday showed a high
reading for enterococcus, an “indicator bacteria” that could signal
the presence of pathogens that if contacted “could result in
symptoms such as diarrhea, cramps and nausea,” according to a North
Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (NCRWQCB) information
sheet on the bacterial water sampling program.
The River sample taken at Healdsburg on July 9 contained a total
coliform bacteria count of more than 17,000 per 100 milliliters of
water, according to the results posted jointly by the Sonoma County
Water Agency, the Sonoma County of Environmental Health division
and the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board.
Coliform bacteria are present in the digestive tracks of
warm-blooded animals and humans and in soil. State health
guidelines for freshwater recreation say a health hazard exists
when total coliform bacteria counts measure greater than 10,000
organisms per 100 milliliters of water. 
Enterococcus was measured at more than 200 per 100 ml. at
Healdsburg last week. State guidelines say a reading above 31 per
100 ml should trigger a health advisory.
The enterococcus bacteria count was 203, more than three times
higher the the state draft guideline.
The River is  tested for levels of total coliform, E. coli
(Eschericha coli), and enterococcus bacteria as indicators of water
quality. Though these are not considered disease-causing agents,
“their presence above certain numeric levels is suggestive of the
presence of other, difficult to detect and quantify pathogenic
microorganisms that can cause health effects,” say state
guidelines. “The use of these indicators is an effective way of
monitoring the overall well-being of recreational waters.”
So far this year there have been more than 30 instances of high
bacteria counts at River beaches from Cloverdale to the estuary.
Health officials have not linked the high counts this summer to any
particular source.
“Potential sources of contamination include surface water
runoff, animal waste, leachate from sewage disposal systems and
improperly disposed of human waste from visitors to the river,” say
state guidelines.