Current snapshot
Can I get in the water today?
Loading the latest sample results…
Most recent sample date: —
Avoid swimming or wading at these sites right now because the newest sample is at or above the single-sample Advisory level.
This is a more positive sign, but the site remains Advisory until recent overall conditions improve.
Consider limiting water contact, especially for children and people at higher risk.
Plain-language guide
What do these results mean for me?
What is E. coli?
E. coli is used as an indicator of fecal contamination in freshwater. A higher result does not prove that one specific disease-causing germ is present, but it means the chance of harmful germs may be higher.
What should I do?
Check the site status before swimming, wading, tubing, or letting children play in the water. Avoid swallowing river water, wash hands before eating, and keep open cuts covered.
After rain or muddy water
Bacteria can rise after heavy rain, runoff, or high-flow conditions. Even when a recent sample looks good, consider waiting 24–48 hours after heavy rainfall before water contact.
Who should be extra careful?
Young children, older adults, pregnant people, and people with weakened immune systems may be more likely to get sick from contaminated recreational water.
Show the technical thresholds used for the status badges
Good
Latest sample is below 235 CFU/100 mL and, when calculated, the 30-day geometric mean is below 126 CFU/100 mL.
Caution
Latest sample is 235–409 CFU/100 mL. This is below the single-sample advisory threshold but elevated enough to use extra caution.
Advisory
Latest sample is ≥410 CFU/100 mL or the 30-day geometric mean is ≥126 CFU/100 mL when there are at least two samples in the last 30 days.
What is the 30-day geometric mean (GM), and why does it matter?
The 30-day geometric mean is a way to summarize recent overall water quality at a site. It is calculated using the site’s recent samples from the last 30 days when there are at least two samples available.
It helps avoid overreacting to one unusually low or high sample, but it also helps keep the public protected when several recent samples have been elevated.
This means a site can still show Advisory even if the newest sample looks lower. That happens when the latest sample has improved, but the recent 30-day pattern is still high enough to remain above the GM Advisory threshold of 126 CFU/100 mL.
Official resources used for this guidance are listed near the bottom of the page.
Site-by-site summary
Latest status by monitored site
Advisory and Caution sites are shown first.
Map
Sampling Sites
Map pins show the latest status for each monitored site. Click a pin for the latest sample date and public guidance.
Latest samples
Results Table
Sites with Advisory or Caution status are listed first. “GM” means geometric mean, a 30-day measure used to understand recent overall water quality. More detail is available in the plain-language guide above.
| Site | Waterbody | Latest Sample | E. coli | 30-day GM | Status | Public guidance |
|---|
Results are culture-based measurements reported as CFU/100 mL or MPN/100 mL depending on the lab method. Values with “<” are handled as half the detection limit for calculations.
Trends
Site Trends Over Time
Latest sample results
30-day GM results
The default all-sites view shows the newest sample at each site. The dropdown also includes an all-sites 30-day GM view, which helps explain sites that remain Advisory because recent overall conditions are still elevated. Conditions can change quickly after rainfall or runoff.
Health guidance
Simple steps to reduce risk
Use this dashboard and any posted signs before getting in the water.
Many recreational water illnesses happen when contaminated water is swallowed.
Runoff can carry bacteria into streams. Waiting 24–48 hours is a practical precaution.
Wash or sanitize hands before eating, especially after wading, fishing, or helping children.
Cover open wounds and avoid water contact if a wound cannot be covered well.
Do not swim or play in water if you have diarrhea.
FAQs
Fishing, boating, wading, and trout
Can I fish during an Advisory?
Fishing from the bank is usually lower risk than swimming because you are not intentionally putting your whole body in the water. Avoid getting river water in your mouth, wash hands before eating, and use extra caution if you have cuts or scrapes.
What about fishing with waders?
Waders reduce skin contact, but they do not remove all risk. Avoid wading at Advisory sites when possible, especially if water may enter the waders, if you have open wounds, or if children are involved. Wash hands and clean gear afterward.
Is boating, kayaking, or canoeing safe?
Boating is generally less direct contact than swimming, but splashes and accidental falls can still expose people to water. During Advisory conditions, avoid swallowing water, keep hands clean before eating, and consider postponing activities where falling in is likely.
Do trout carry E. coli?
E. coli is mainly used here as a sign of fecal contamination in the water, not as a test of whether trout themselves are infected. Fish can still be exposed to contaminated water on their skin, gills, or during cleaning, so handle fish carefully and wash hands and surfaces.
Can I eat fish caught near an Advisory site?
Do not use river water to rinse fish, hands, or utensils. Keep raw fish separate from ready-to-eat foods and cook fish thoroughly. General food safety guidance recommends cooking fish to 145°F or until the flesh is opaque and separates easily with a fork.
Should I clean my gear afterward?
Yes. Rinse and dry waders, boots, boats, paddles, and fishing gear after use. Wash hands with soap and clean water before eating or touching your face, especially after contact with river water, mud, fish, or gear.
About the Data & Official Resources
What this dashboard shows: Recent E. coli measurements from EBCI rivers and streams to support safe recreation and public transparency. Samples are snapshots in time; they do not guarantee conditions at every location or time of day.
How status is calculated: EBCI uses EPA’s 2012 Recreational Water Quality Criteria framework for freshwater E. coli. The dashboard applies the single-sample Statistical Threshold Value of 410 CFU/100 mL and the 30-day geometric mean value of 126 CFU/100 mL when there are at least two samples in the last 30 days.
Monitoring frequency: Sites are sampled regularly during the primary recreation season, as staffing, safety, weather, and river conditions allow. Additional sampling may occur when conditions warrant.
- EPA Recreational Water Quality Criteria and Methods: https://www.epa.gov/wqc/recreational-water-quality-criteria-and-methods
- EPA 2012 Recreational Water Quality Criteria: https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-10/documents/rwqc2012.pdf
- EPA E. coli parameter factsheet: https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2021-07/parameter-factsheet_e.-coli.pdf
- CDC Healthy Swimming prevention guidance: https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-swimming/prevention/index.html
- CDC diarrheal illness prevention for swimming: https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-swimming/prevention/preventing-diarrheal-illnesses.html
- FoodSafety.gov safe minimum internal temperatures: https://www.foodsafety.gov/food-safety-charts/safe-minimum-internal-temperatures
- Cherokee Code Chapter 113E Water Quality: https://library.municode.com/tribes_and_tribal_nations/eastern_band_of_cherokee_indians/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=THCHCO_CH113EWAQUCOTRWA
Technical details: standards, calculations, monitoring, and data notes Click to expand the detailed methods and official criteria used for this dashboard.
This section provides the more technical explanation for how the dashboard status categories are assigned. It is intended for staff, partners, and community members who want the full criteria and data notes behind the plain-language status badges.
Regulatory and criteria basis
Status uses EPA’s 2012 Recreational Water Quality Criteria framework for freshwater E. coli, including the 30-day geometric mean (GM) value of 126 CFU/100 mL and the single-sample Statistical Threshold Value (STV) of 410 CFU/100 mL.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ Water Quality Standards, adopted under Cherokee Code Chapter 113E, designate Recreation and Ceremonial Use for many surface waters. For freshwater bacteria criteria, the standards include:
- Geometric mean: E. coli over a 30-day period should be ≤ 126 CFU/100 mL.
- Statistical Threshold Value: no more than 10% of samples in the same 30-day period should exceed 410 CFU/100 mL.
These values align with EPA’s 2012 Recreational Water Quality Criteria.
Dashboard status calculation
The dashboard uses the latest sample and, when available, the 30-day GM for each site.
- Good: latest sample is below the Caution band and the 30-day GM, when calculated, is below 126 CFU/100 mL.
- Caution: latest sample is 235–409 CFU/100 mL while the site does not meet Advisory criteria. This is a public-facing caution band used to flag elevated results that are approaching the STV.
- Advisory: latest sample is ≥ 410 CFU/100 mL or the 30-day GM is ≥ 126 CFU/100 mL when there are enough recent samples to calculate it.
The GM rule is applied only when there are at least two samples in the last 30 days. EPA notes that about five samples in 30 days is ideal where feasible, so GM results based on fewer samples should be interpreted with that limitation in mind.
Why GM and STV are both shown
The STV helps identify high single-sample results that may represent a current or recent spike in bacteria. The 30-day GM reflects recent overall water quality and helps avoid making decisions based only on one unusually high or low sample.
This is why a site may remain Advisory even when the latest sample appears lower: recent results may still keep the 30-day GM above the Advisory threshold. In that situation, the newest sample may be a positive sign, but the site remains in Advisory until the recent overall pattern improves.
What the measurements mean
This dashboard displays culture-based E. coli measurements from EBCI rivers and streams to support safe recreation and public transparency. Results are shown as CFU/100 mL or, depending on the laboratory method, MPN/100 mL for methods such as Quanti-Tray/Colilert.
E. coli is used as an indicator of fecal contamination. Most strains of E. coli are not harmful, but elevated results can indicate a higher probability that other disease-causing organisms may be present.
Data handling notes
- Single samples are snapshots in time; conditions can change quickly with rainfall, runoff, sunlight, temperature, and streamflow.
- Values reported with “<” are treated as half the detection limit for GM calculations.
- Values reported with “>” are displayed as reported and should be interpreted as exceeding the stated value.
- The 30-day GM is calculated separately for each site using recent positive numeric values from that site.
- Sites without enough recent samples may not have a GM-based status applied.
Monitoring frequency and limitations
Sites are sampled regularly during the primary recreation season, approximately April–September, as staffing, safety, weather, and river conditions allow. Additional sampling may occur after rainfall/runoff or when conditions warrant.
Sampling results apply to the site and time collected. They do not guarantee conditions at every nearby swimming, fishing, boating, or ceremonial-use location. When water is muddy, high, or fast-moving, or after heavy rain, water-contact risk may be higher even before new sample results are available.
Official resources
- Cherokee Code Chapter 113E – Water Quality: https://library.municode.com/tribes_and_tribal_nations/eastern_band_of_cherokee_indians/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=THCHCO_CH113EWAQUCOTRWA
- EPA Recreational Water Quality Criteria and Methods: https://www.epa.gov/wqc/recreational-water-quality-criteria-and-methods
- EPA 2012 Recreational Water Quality Criteria: https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-10/documents/rwqc2012.pdf
- EPA E. coli parameter factsheet: https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2021-07/parameter-factsheet_e.-coli.pdf
- CDC Healthy Swimming prevention guidance: https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-swimming/prevention/index.html
- CDC diarrheal illness prevention for swimming: https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-swimming/prevention/preventing-diarrheal-illnesses.html
- FoodSafety.gov safe minimum internal temperatures: https://www.foodsafety.gov/food-safety-charts/safe-minimum-internal-temperatures
Optional: River Ranger — E. coli Invaders game
About the game: A just-for-fun mini-game that reinforces the idea of preventing contamination and protecting rivers.