Projects > Fecal Coliform Monitoring
Mara and Marty have been hard at work since April 2005 collecting water samples each month at three sites above the Rt. 1 Bridge. The samples then travel to Department of Marine Resources (DMR) lab in Booth Bay and are analyzed for fecal coliform.
Fecal coliform is a type of bacteria that lives in the intestines of warm-blooded animals. Readings above a certain level can indicate unhealthy water conditions for humans and marine life. The DMR has an on-going water monitoring program in the lower part of Spruce Creek where fecal coliform levels are tested to ensure safe harvesting of clams.
The presence of fecal coliform bacteria in a sample indicates that there has been a recent contamination event but does not necessarily indicate that disease-causing bacteria are present. Bacterial results can be greatly influenced by storm events and all sites often have higher than normal levels of bacteria after heavy rainstorms. When only an occasional fecal coliform test at a specific site is high, it is probably due to contamination from animals along the banks or in the water and most likely does not indicate a problem. Consistently high levels at a specific site may indicate a discharge into the water which could have a harmful effect over time and warrants investigation. View more information on the Municipal Shellfish Management Program and on clamflat closures.
Note: A "good" score is 14 or less, but it's not uncommon to see scores of 43 to 93 in fresh water streams. Scores of 240 or more are indications of fecal contamination from human and/or animal.
| SPRUCE CREEK - Fecal Coliform Data 2005 | ||||
| Date Collected | 06/08/05 | |||
| Site # | Time | Water Temp (oC) | Salinity 0/00 | Fecal
Score (fc/ml) |
| 28A | 1154 | 20.0 | 25 | 43 |
| 28B | 1224 | 26.0 | 12 | 240 |
| 28C | 1205 | 24.0 | 0 | 332 |
| Date Collected | 07/19/05 | |||
| Site # | Time | Water Temp (oC) | Salinity 0/00 | Fecal
Score (fc/ml) |
| 28A | 0641 | - | 28 | 240 |
| 28B | 0655 | - | 20 | 460 |
| 28C | 0703 | - | 0 | >1,100 |
| Date Collected | 08/16/05 | |||
| Site # | Time | Water Temp (oC) | Salinity 0/00 | Fecal
Score (fc/ml) |
| 28A | 0641 | - | 12 | 1100 |
| 28B | 0655 | - | 2 | 1100 |
| 28C | 0703 | - | 0 | 1100 |
| Date Collected | 08/29/05 | |||
| Site # | Time | Water Temp (oC) | Salinity 0/00 | Fecal
Score (fc/ml) |
| 28A | 0641 | 25 | 29 | 2.9 |
| 28B | 0655 | 24 | 27 | 7.3 |
| 28C | 0703 | 25 | 3 | 240 |
| 28D | 0655 | 24 | 0 | 460 |
| 28E | 0703 | 24 | 0 | 240 |
| Date Collected | 09/07/05 | |||
| Site # | Time | Water Temp (oC) | Salinity 0/00 | Fecal
Score (fc/ml) |
| 28A | 0641 | 24 | 30 | 23 |
| 28B | 0655 | 23 | 30 | 15 |
| 28C | 0703 | 22 | 6 | 240 |
| Date Collected | 10/05/05 | |||
| Site # | Time | Water Temp (oC) | Salinity 0/00 | Fecal
Score (fc/ml) |
| 28A | 0653 | 17 | 30 | 3.6 |
| 28B | 0703 | 20 | 23 | |
| 28C | 0710 | 12 | 23 | |
| Date Collected | 11/2/05 | |||
| Site # | Time | Water Temp (oC) | Salinity 0/00 | Fecal
Score (fc/ml) |
| 28A | 0838 | 14 | 5 | 240 |
| 28B | 0809 | 12 | 0 | 240 |
| 28C | 0825 | 12 | 0 | 93 |
| SPRUCE CREEK - Fecal Coliform Data 2006 | ||||
| Date Collected | 4/20/06 | |||
| Site # | Time | Water Temp (oC) | Salinity 0/00 | Fecal
Score (fc/ml) |
| 28A | 0805 | 28 | 43 | |
| 28B | 0817 | 8 | 240 | |
| 28C | 0826 | 0 | 240 | |
| Date Collected | 5/10/06 | |||
| Site # | Time | Water Temp (oC) | Salinity 0/00 | Fecal
Score (fc/ml) |
| 28A | 0802 | 12 | 0 | 1100 |
| 28B | 0813 | 12 | 0 | 460 |
| 28C | 0822 | 12 | 0 | 460 |
| Heavy rain day before, rushing water at all sites. | ||||
| Date Collected | 6/13/06 | |||
| Site # | Time | Water Temp (oC) | Salinity 0/00 | Fecal
Score (fc/ml) |
| 28A | 0652 | 18.0 |
10 |
93 |
| 28B | 0703 | 17.0 | 0 | 93 |
| 28C | 1345 | 0 | 23 | |
| Date Collected | 8/8/06 | |||
| Site # | Time | Water Temp (oC) | Salinity 0/00 | Fecal
Score (fc/ml) |
| 28A | 0953 | 23.0 |
29 |
23 |
| 28B | 0938 | 24.0 | 14 | 240 |
| 28C | ||||
| Date Collected | 10/30/06 | |||
| Site # | Time | Water Temp (oC) | Salinity 0/00 | Fecal
Score (fc/ml) |
| 28A | 0650 | 8.0 |
16 |
620 |
| 28B | 0704 | 8.0 | 0 | 300 |
| 28C | ||||
| Date Collected | 12/18/06 | |||
| Site # | Time | Water Temp (oC) | Salinity 0/00 | Fecal
Score (fc/ml) |
| 28A | 1219 | 6.0 |
23 |
29 |
| 28B | 1227 | 6.0 | 14 | 8 |
| 28C | 1231 | 6.0 | 0 | 24 |
| SPRUCE CREEK - Fecal Coliform Data 2007 | ||||
| Date Collected | 10/9/07 | |||
| Site # | Time | Water Temp (oC) | Salinity 0/00 | Fecal
Score (fc/ml) |
| 28A | 0941 |
16 | 32 | 42 |
| 28B | 0914 | 14 | 20 | 240 |
| 28C | 0925 | 15 | 6 | 60 |
| Date Collected | 11/19/07 | |||
| Site # | Time | Water Temp (oC) | Salinity 0/00 | Fecal
Score (fc/ml) |
| 28A | 1010 |
6 | 26 | 9.1 |
| 28B | 0950 | 4 | 4 | 142 |
| 28C | 1000 | 3 | 0 | 138 |
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