Six Weiss Lake-Area Sites Pass CRBI Week 15 Testing; Terrapin Creek Fails Again

Weiss Lake Swim Guide results showing six area sites passed and Terrapin Creek Boat Ramp failed CRBI Week 15 testing.

ROME– Six Weiss Lake-area sites passed CRBI’s Week 15 water-quality testing, while Terrapin Creek Boat Ramp failed again.

The Coosa River Basin Initiative posted results after collecting samples Thursday, Aug. 27. Additionally, crews tested 29 recreation sites across the upper Coosa River Basin.

Overall, 28 locations met CRBI’s E. coli guideline, and only one failed. Compared with WEIS News’ Week 13 report, the passing total rose from 19 to 28.

Meanwhile, the failing count fell from 10 to one. Therefore, Week 15 produced sharply better results than the previous WEIS-reported round.

CRBI Swim Guide chart comparing Week 13 and Week 15, showing passes rose from 19 to 28 and failures fell from 10 to one.

Weiss Lake-Area Results

Six nearby locations received passing results:

  • Mud Creek Ramp — less than 1 MPN.
  • Cobia Bridge Ramp — 10.8 MPN.
  • Cedar Bluff Causeway — less than 1 MPN.
  • Bay Springs Ramp — 1.0 MPN.
  • Leesburg Landing — 2.0 MPN.
  • Brushy Branch Ramp — less than 1 MPN.

CRBI chart comparing failures by route in Weeks 13 and 15, showing Week 15 had one West Route failure and none on the Central or East routes.

MPN means “most probable number.” CRBI reports each result as MPN per 100 milliliters of water.

Terrapin Creek Boat Ramp produced a result of 387.3 MPN. Although that exceeded its Week 13 reading of 365.4 MPN, it was the basin’s only failure.

Therefore, the Weiss Lake-area pattern matched Week 13. Six locations passed, while Terrapin Creek Boat Ramp failed.

Only One Site Fails Across Upper Coosa Basin

The West Route finished with nine passing locations and one failure. Meanwhile, all nine Central Route locations passed.

The East Route also recorded a perfect round, with all 10 locations passing. By contrast, Week 13 produced three West Route failures, six Central Route failures, and one East Route failure.

CRBI chart comparing failures by route in Weeks 13 and 15, showing Week 15 had one West Route failure and none on the Central or East routes.

As a result, nine locations moved from failing results in Week 13 to passes in Week 15:

  • Lyerly Dam Ramp — 167.0 MPN.
  • Holland Chattogaville Rd Ramp — 98.8 MPN.
  • Heritage Park Ramp — 54.5 MPN.
  • Joseph Vann Hwy Ramp — 98.8 MPN.
  • N River St Ramp — 88.6 MPN.
  • Hwy 156 Ramp — 140.1 MPN.
  • Hwy 140 Ramp — 65.0 MPN.
  • Ridge Ferry Park — 78.5 MPN.
  • Sweetwater Park — 19.7 MPN.

All nine readings remained below CRBI’s 235 MPN failure mark. However, Terrapin Creek Boat Ramp failed in both Week 13 and Week 15.

What a Failing Result Means

CRBI reports a failure when E. coli rises above 235 MPN per 100 milliliters. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency uses that level as a Beach Action Value.

At that level, the EPA estimates that more than 36 of every 1,000 swimmers could become ill. Therefore, CRBI advises visitors to use extra caution or avoid a red location.

A passing result means the sample remained below the guideline during testing. However, a pass does not guarantee that conditions remain safe or risk-free.

Rain, flooding, and runoff can quickly change water conditions after crews collect a sample. In addition, CRBI does not test for every possible water hazard.

The program operates from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Crews collect samples on Thursdays and generally post results on Fridays.

Before swimming, boating, fishing, or paddling, visitors should check the latest CRBI Swim Guide.

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