05/23/2025
Those of you asking about the water.. here’s your answers!
For the past two months, LJEA has been working to determine the water quality of Lake James and its watershed after Hurricane Helene. Sediment, beach sand, and water samples have been collected from several different locations around Lake James and its tributaries. Those samples were analyzed by the Environmental Quality Institute (EQI) and Research Triangle Institute (RTI) for heavy metals and pesticides, herbicides, and other potential chemical pollutants of concern in this area. All samples were below concentrations that would be of concern for short-term incidental contact like swimming and wading.
In addition, LJEA is partnering with Catawba Riverkeeper to expand E. coli testing around the watershed. LJEA will assist with Catawba Riverkeeper’s Swim Guide Program, which begins this weekend and runs through Labor Day, with results posted every Friday evening. E. coli levels in water samples collected by LJEA have generally been under the EPA’s Swim Advisory level. However, levels can change quickly due to rainfall, so check back here for test results from Lake James every Friday. You can find results from popular swimming sites throughout the Catawba River Basin on Catawba Riverkeeper’s social media or worldwide on www.theswimguide.org/find.
As always, avoid swimming in brown, green, or turbid water and exercise caution after rainstorms, as there is an increased chance of stormwater pollution. For information about water quality monitoring, please visit www.ljea.org.