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

CRBI Week 13 Swim Guide results showing six Weiss Lake-area sites passed and one site failed again

ROME– Six Weiss Lake-area recreation sites passed the latest CRBI Swim Guide water-quality testing. However, Terrapin Creek Boat Ramp failed for the second consecutive week.

The Coosa River Basin Initiative posted its Week 13 results after collecting samples Thursday, Aug. 13. Crews tested 29 recreation sites across the upper Coosa River Basin.

Overall, 19 locations met CRBI’s E. coli guideline, while 10 failed. Compared with Week 12, the number of passing locations fell from 21 to 19.

Meanwhile, the number of failing locations increased from eight to 10.

Chart comparing CRBI Week 12 and Week 13 Swim Guide results, showing 19 passing and 10 failing locations in Week 13.
CRBI recorded two fewer passing locations and two more failing locations compared with Week 12.

Six Weiss Lake-Area Sites Pass

The six nearby locations receiving passing results were:

  • Mud Creek Ramp — 15.8 MPN
  • Cobia Bridge Ramp — 6.3 MPN
  • Cedar Bluff Causeway — 6.3 MPN
  • Bay Springs Ramp — 52.0 MPN
  • Leesburg Landing — 2.0 MPN
  • Brushy Branch Ramp — 12.2 MPN
Chart showing six Weiss Lake-area sites passing CRBI testing and Terrapin Creek Boat Ramp failing with 365.4 MPN per 100 milliliters.
Six Weiss Lake-area sites passed Week 13 testing. Terrapin Creek Boat Ramp failed for the second consecutive week.

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

Terrapin Creek Boat Ramp produced a result of 365.4 MPN. Although that improved from 648.8 MPN last week, it remained above CRBI’s failure mark.

Therefore, the overall Weiss Lake-area pattern remained unchanged. Six locations passed, while Terrapin Creek Boat Ramp failed.

Ten Locations Fail Across Upper Coosa Basin

Ten locations exceeded CRBI’s E. coli guideline this week:

  • West Route: Terrapin Creek Boat Ramp — 365.4 MPN
  • West Route: Lyerly Dam Ramp — 517.2 MPN
  • West Route: Holland Chattogaville Road Ramp — 248.1 MPN
  • Central Route: Heritage Park Ramp — 517.2 MPN
  • Central Route: Joseph Vann Highway Ramp — 325.5 MPN
  • Central Route: North River Street Ramp — 1,203.3 MPN
  • Central Route: Highway 156 Ramp — 648.8 MPN
  • Central Route: Highway 140 Ramp — 1,046.2 MPN
  • Central Route: Ridge Ferry Park — 290.0 MPN
  • East Route: Sweetwater Park — 1,732.9 MPN

Sweetwater Park recorded the week’s highest result. North River Street Ramp and Highway 140 Ramp also exceeded 1,000 MPN.

The West Route finished with seven passing locations and three failures. Meanwhile, the Central Route recorded three passes and six failures.

The East Route had nine passing locations and only one failure.

Chart comparing CRBI failures by testing route in Weeks 12 and 13.
Central-route failures increased from two to six, while East-route failures declined from four to one in Week 13.

Several Locations Change Classifications

Six locations moved from passing results last week to failures this week. Those sites were Heritage Park Ramp, Holland Chattogaville Road Ramp, Highway 140 Ramp, Highway 156 Ramp, Ridge Ferry Park, and Sweetwater Park.

However, four East Route locations improved from failing to passing:

  • Euharlee Road Ramp — 68.3 MPN
  • Hardin Bridge Ramp — 139.6 MPN
  • Highway 113 Canoe/Kayak Launch — 85.7 MPN
  • Neel’s Landing on U.S. 411 — 79.4 MPN

Joseph Vann Highway Ramp and North River Street Ramp failed during both weeks. Lyerly Dam Ramp and Terrapin Creek Boat Ramp also remained in the failing category.

As a result, the Central Route accounted for six of this week’s 10 failures. By contrast, the East Route improved from four failures last week to only one this week.

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 passing result does not guarantee that a location remains 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.

Visitors should check the latest CRBI Swim Guide before swimming, boating, fishing, or paddling.

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