FAYETTEVILLE -- State and local officials want to limit recreational activity on a stretch of the White River from West Fork to Greenland after the Arkansas Health Department found high levels of E. coli bacteria in the river.
Activities such as swimming or canoeing that would put a person into direct contact with the water should be avoided, according to the department.
The department said testing done by the Beaver Water District and the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality showed elevated concentrations of E. coli and total coliform in the river in an area starting at the Dye Creek Bridge in West Fork and ending about 3.4 miles downstream at the Baptist Ford Bridge on South Main Street in Greenland.
People who come into contact with the water are at higher risk of developing infections that may cause symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea and urinary tract infections, according to the department.
The Health Department, ADEQ and West Fork are working to inform the public of the issue.. The advisory is expected to continue until concentrations of E. coli and total coliform are consistently recorded with the limits of West Fork's wastewater permit.
NW News on 05/24/2019