A technician holds a jar containing a water sample taken from Little Butte Creek, where none of the samples taken this past summer met state standards for E. coli, according to Rogue Riverkeeper.

Rogue Riverkeeper’s 2023 water quality report gives an “F” to Little Butte Creek, which runs from the slopes of the Cascade Mountains through Eagle Point and to the Rogue River.

The creek was tested at least 10 times during the summer season in Eagle Point, from June through September, to determine if it met state standards for E. coli, according to Frances Oyung of Rogue Riverkeeper, a program of the Ashland-based environmental organization KS Wild.

“Zero of them made it,” Oyung said.

The creek flows through three Eagle Point parks, where elevated bacteria levels render the waterway unsafe for wading or swimming. It eventually empties into the Rogue River just upstream from TouVelle State Recreation Site. The samples taken from the creek were obtained at Harnish Wayside, near Crater Lake Highway.

The likely cause of the contamination, according to Oyung, is a long-standing practice known as flood irrigation, which allows water to flow over pastures and crops before returning to streams, carrying pollutants along with it. Alternatives to flood irrigation can be costly.

Another possible source of contamination could be failing septic systems, Oyung said. Further sampling is planned for this summer, to narrow down the possibilities.

“Rogue Riverkeeper will be presenting our findings to the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Environmental Quality to seek answers for Little Butte Creek’s persistent fecal contamination,” Oyung wrote in an Oct. 4 post to the Rogue Riverkeeper website.

Water samples were collected by volunteers and a seasonal technician, Caitlin Eastman, at 23 waterways and recreational locations in the Rogue River basin – from Lost Creek Lake, Emigrant Lake and Applegate Lake all the way to Gold Beach at the Pacific Ocean. The samples were checked for E. coli, which is Oregon’s standard for water contact safety.

Most sites received a thumbs-up with minimal signs of fecal contamination from warm-blooded animals. Sites that received a grade of B included Bear Creek at North Mountain Park, Applegate Lake and the Rogue River at Baker Park in Grants Pass. Bear Creek at Bear Creek Park in Medford received an F, with 40% of samples not meeting the state standard.

In a related matter, Rogue Riverkeeper publishes a swim guide that provides the public with water quality updates at the various sites. This year, more than 32,000 people viewed the guide, “underscoring the community’s desire to stay informed about water safety,” Oyung wrote.

View the water quality report and the swim guide online, at rogueriverkeeper.org.

Woody debris drop-off site near Eagle Point to close for the season

The woody debris collection site at the Dodge Bridge fire station outside Eagle Point is due to close for the rainy season after Wednesday, according to Jackson County Fire District 3. The site will open again in the spring.

The site first opened about three years ago to give property owners a free place to drop off green debris, including brush and tree limbs. The goal is to encourage property owners to create defensible space around structures.

“It’s been a huge success,” said Ian Kassab, a captain with the district.

The site, at 60 Rogue River Drive, does not take root balls, stumps, lumber or commercial traffic. The facility has no set hours and no locking gates.

The department also provides home assessments and can make a chipper and a debris trailer available to assist district residents.

For more information, contact the district office at 541-826-7100, ext. 2723.

Agencies seek comment on draft plans for Shady Cove boat ramp

Jackson County Parks, in cooperation with the Oregon State Marine Board, is seeking public comment through Nov. 30 on three draft concepts for a new boat ramp and parking area at Upper Rogue Regional Park in Shady Cove, 7660 Rogue River Drive.

This is the second round of draft plans, which have been in the works for more than a year.

The existing ramp has user conflicts during the busy summer month, is in need of repair and doesn’t function well during low water conditions, according to the department’s web page. The goal of the new ramp is to improve boater access, reduce seasonal conflicts and accommodate regulatory and site requirements while minimizing impact to the existing park.

To view the plans, go online to Jackson County Parks and click on “News.” Contact the department at 541-774-8183.