Spooky poops on the loose in a river near you!
All jokes aside, E. Coli, Escherichia coli, are bacteria that are commonly found in the feces of animals and people including in our guts. Many of these bacteria are not harmful, however when feces and sewage enter our waterway we risk exposure and illness.
Here at the District we face our fears, and thoroughly enjoy, sampling the Upper Yaquina and the Siletz for bacteria to inform our conservation efforts. By understanding where bacteria levels are highest we can focus our efforts to provide technical assistance and funding to landowners to improve riparian health, land management practices, and infrastructure.