Staff photo.
The Swim Guide for the Cahaba River, shown in picture, is posted online every Friday from May through September so that people can see if the water quality is safe for swimming.
Cahaba Riverkeeper David Butler said for many years now, the spots where people swim on the river along U.S. 280 have been “a hit or miss” as far as dangerous bacteria levels go.
“We get frequent hits, meaning the water bacterial level is higher than state standards. … Sometimes it’s clean, sometimes it’s not so clean,” he said.
When residents in the area expressed safety concerns about swimming, Butler started collecting water samples from along the river and testing their E. coli bacteria levels. Six years later, the program, called Swim Guide, is still in place and still helping residents answer questions about river safety.
Every Thursday from May through September, Butler and a group of volunteers go to 16 recreational access points along the Cahaba River to conduct research, collect water quality data and test bacteria samples. Then they post the results online on Fridays so families can see if it’s safe to swim. They also send out text, email and Facebook alerts, especially if there’s a high level of E. coli in the river.
Spots in the 280 area include Little Cahaba River near U.S. 280; the quiet, unpopulated bank near Caldwell Mill Road; the frequented put-in and take-out point on the east side of the U.S. 280 bridge; and the confluence of the Little Cahaba River and the main stem of the Cahaba River.
Because the state of Alabama doesn’t routinely monitor freshwater swimming areas and beaches, Butler said, Swim Guide provides locals with that information so they know if recreational water use is safe. In 2019, Butler added, they are also planning on doing an intensive sampling of areas along U.S. 280 to determine why E. coli levels are occasionally so high.
“We will try to pinpoint what the source is. Last year, we were able to find [the source] at Shades Creek and fix it. We want to do the same thing to some of these sites,” he said.
Through Swim Guide, a number of water quality problems have been discovered. When this happens, Butler said, they quickly direct the data to the responsible party or appropriate authorities.
Butler said he hears stories all the time about serious infections after cuts or entire families getting sick after outings, but it’s hard to verify the stories with so little data and research being recorded along the river.
Having Swim Guide data, Butler said, is the key to solving some of the problems people address him with day to day. Not only that, but they are able to better monitor biodiversity levels and avoid lost species of snails, mussels and fish, which continues to be a problem.
For people who routinely use the river, Butler said it’s important to become informed about water quality issues in the area.
“We think it’s great that everyone loves the river, but we are kind of loving the river to death,” Butler said. “So at some point, you have to take a stand and make some changes or else these impacts we are fearful of in the future will become reality much quicker.”
The Cahaba Riverkeeper operates strictly on grants and individual donations. To check the Swim Guide along the beaches and swimming holes along U.S. 280, go to theswimguide.org.
