High Bacteria Levels Require a New Approach to Los Angeles River Recreation

The city of Los Angeles created a new plan to notify the public about high levels of E.coli in the Los Angeles River after kayakers were exposed to E.coli earlier this fall.

1 minute read

October 29, 2017, 11:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Los Angeles River Kayak

Alissa Walker / flickr

"Seven weeks after failing to notify the public about alarmingly high bacteria levels in the Los Angeles River, city of Los Angeles officials have established a protocol to close the river when the water is unsafe for kayaking and other recreation," reports Emily Guerin.

According to Guerin, "at least five government agencies knew about the E.coli contamination in the days before a kayak race on September 9, but did little to alert the general public or close the river to recreation." The E.coli levels were more than 100 times the federal standard in September.

The new "Los Angeles River Water Quality Testing and Notification protocol" therefore will set new standards for recreation and implement more frequent testing of water quality, among other measures.

Friday, October 27, 2017 in KPCC

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

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