Arkansas River advisory remains in effect through La Junta after high bacteria readings
State and local guidance continues to keep people, pets and livestock out of the Arkansas River through La Junta, where Sept. 7 testing exceeded Colorado’s recreational-water threshold.
A public-health advisory remains in effect for the Arkansas River through La Junta after state testing found bacteria levels above Colorado’s recreational-water threshold, including a La Junta sample measured at 770.1 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters on Sept. 6.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s advisory covers the Arkansas River from the point where Fountain Creek enters the river downstream through and including John Martin Reservoir. The affected stretch includes areas near Blende, Avondale, Fowler, Manzanola, Rocky Ford, La Junta and Las Animas.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and Pueblo County Public Health and Environment issued the advisory after a Pueblo sewage spill. It remains in effect until testing returns to normal, according to the state’s incident update. People are advised to avoid swimming, wading, tubing, kayaking and fishing in the affected stretch. The guidance also says not to drink untreated river water, use it to prepare food or apply it to raw fruits and vegetables.
The latest publicly reported results were from samples collected Sept. 7, according to the Kiowa County Press. The La Junta sample measured 1,120 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters; samples at Nepesta and County Road 24.5 measured 727 and 411, respectively. All exceeded the 235-colony-forming-unit-per-100-milliliter recreational threshold cited by the state. The report said no later results were posted to the state testing dashboard as of Sept. 10.
The La Junta Board of Utilities’ Sept. 8 minutes recorded the earlier La Junta result and advised residents not to swim, wade or kayak; drink from the river; allow animals to drink from it; or use river water or untreated shallow-well water for cooking, bathing, consumption, cleaning vegetables or preparing meals. The Utilities Board minutes said the guidance followed recommendations from state, Pueblo County and Otero County health officials.
A separate sewage-related advisory for John Martin Reservoir was lifted Sept. 4 after repeated safe readings, but that action did not lift the broader river advisory through La Junta.