Swimming conditions for July 4th holiday look good in Cahaba & Coosa watersheds [SEE MAPS]

Cahaba
Swim Guide water quality testers (Cahaba Riverkeeper)

Swimming conditions over the long July 4th weekend in the Cahaba and Coosa watersheds look good, according to the weekly Swim Guides produced by the Coosa Riverkeeper and Cahaba Riverkeeper.

Coosa River Watershed Swim Guide

“Water quality is looking pretty good throughout the middle & lower Coosa this weekend with low bacteria levels at just about every sampling location. Scattered thunderstorms are in the forecast so keep an eye on the weather, take caution in the high temps, and follow the safe swimming tips!

Chad Hoffman, Coosa Riverkeeper Program Director

Water testers at the Coosa Riverkeeper acquired samples on Thursday, June 29th. They sampled near and around the following areas for harmful pathogens like E.coli and other water quality parameters.

  • Neely Henry Lake outside of Gadsden
  • Pell City area around Logan Martin Lake
  • Childersburg & Columbiana for Lay Lake
  • Clanton area around Lake Mitchell
  • Wetumpka area for Lake Jordan and the Tailwaters

Cahaba Watershed Swim Guide

David Butler, the Cahaba Riverkeeper, reported similar results up and down the Cahaba River Watershed from their June 29th round of testing.

“Each week, we sample from Trussville to just north of Centreville. This holiday weekend, we are issuing 8 alerts, but only 2 on the main stem of the river at Highway 280 and Old Looney Mill Road. You can find the full results at www.cahabariverkeeper.org/swim-guide. We hope you have a wonderful weekend with family and friends on the water!”

Below is their first week of July Swim Guide map.

Safety Tips

IMG 4236 Swimming conditions for July 4th holiday look good in Cahaba & Coosa watersheds [SEE MAPS]

Be mindful, conditions can change during the week, especially when heavy scattered rain showers occur. The Riverkeepers encourage swimmers to follow these helpful tips:

Make sure to bookmark the following swim guide website for the latest on river and lake swimming conditions:

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Pat Byington
Pat Byington

Longtime conservationist. Former Executive Director at the Alabama Environmental Council and Wild South. Publisher of the Bama Environmental News for more than 18 years. Career highlights include playing an active role in the creation of Alabama's Forever Wild program, Little River Canyon National Preserve, Dugger Mountain Wilderness, preservation of special places throughout the East through the Wilderness Society and the strengthening (making more stringent) the state of Alabama's cancer risk and mercury standards.

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