It’s the second week of our summer fecal bacteria testing program and all three creeks in the watershed have failed to meet the MD Standards for Safe Water Play. This is the second week in a row that the sites on the Willett Branch have failed; The Little Falls site below Mass Avenue failed again. And the Minnehaha creek site has shown serious fecal pollution for the past two weeks. This is the first year that we have tested the Minnehaha Branch.
Fecal Bacteria Polluter Found; Problem Fixed!
In 2022, our fecal bacteria monitoring program uncovered a serious E. coli pollution problem in the Willett Branch. Our tests found fecal counts more than 50 times higher than the Maryland recommended levels for safe water play. We are excited to announce that the source of this pollution has finally been uncovered.
Watershed Creeks Fail to Meet Standards for Safe Play
What Does Little Falls have in Common with the Paris Olympics?
Report Concludes Area Streams have a Serious Fecal Bacteria Problem
For the third consecutive summer, the fecal bacteria levels in the Little Falls watershed have exceeded the Maryland State Standards for recreational water use - even for infrequent human contact. According to the 15 week study of eight sites along two creeks in the watershed, both creeks at all locations fail to meet the criteria for safe water play.
Fecal Bacteria Monitoring FAQ
To answers all the questions about our fecal bacteria monitoring program you never knew you had!
MoCo DEP to Investigate Source of Human Fecal Bacteria in Willett Branch
After so much bad news about the fecal bacteria levels in the Little Falls Watershed - especially the out of the ballpark numbers on the Willett Branch where it runs behind the Bethesda Pool -Little Falls Watershed Alliance is happy to share some good news.