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

"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.