The Pueblo sewage spill tainting the Lower Arkansas Valley will reach popular John Martin Reservoir State Park Monday, prompting don’t-touch-the-water warnings for two lakes already suffering from massive toxic algae blooms.
“Beginning Monday, visitors should avoid swimming, wading, tubing, paddleboarding, fishing and other activities involving direct water contact. Visitors should also keep pets away from affected water,” Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials said in a release on Sunday. The state park has about 250,000 visitors a year, and upcoming Labor Day weekend would ordinarily bring a last summer surge. “Warning signs will be posted at the park and around the reservoir to alert visitors to the contamination and water contact advisory.”
State and local health officials continue to coordinate water testing up and down the river. In the Thursday accident, a section of a sewage pipe repaired long ago that sat inside a stormwater discharge pipe suffered a pressure burst. More than 4 million gallons of raw sewage intended for a Pueblo treatment facility discharged through the stormwater pipe into the Arkansas River just east of Interstate 25, authorities said.
The leak was stopped by Aug. 27, officials said.
State health and agriculture officials quickly warned farmers, ranchers and recreational users to not come in contact with or use river water below Pueblo.
Pueblo County health officials collected water samples upstream and downstream of the spill. While samples taken upstream showed low levels of the harmful bacteria E. coli, levels downstream of the spill are “extremely high,” the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment announced Friday night.
The department said people should not recreate in or use the river water until testing shows levels have returned to normal. Pets and livestock also should not use or drink from the water.
John Martin Reservoir east of Las Animas will remain open this week for no-contact boating and other uses, but the E.coli bacteria and other contaminants flowing southeast from the Pueblo accident have state parks and health officials on high alert.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment will collect water-quality samples at the park.
“While we cannot fix what is coming downstream, we have an opportunity to prepare and communicate with our visitors before it arrives,” said park manager Dan Kirmer.
Park visitors should also keep their pets away from John Martin and the Arkansas River in the area.
Park staff were already sounding warnings of water-quality concerns involving cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae. John Martin Reservoir “was recently downgraded to a yellow caution level for possible algae-producing cyanobacteria and toxins, and regular testing continues,” state officials said.
A red danger alert applies to a separate area of the park, Lake Hasty. That lake is closed to closed to full-body water contact, after new test results showed potential algae-related toxicity levels increasing again.
Department of Agriculture officials are working with the melon and other produce farmers that make up the core of the Lower Arkansas Valley economy to find alternative sources and test their water while dangerous bacteria washes through southeastern Colorado.
“Discharges of raw sewage into waterways contain harmful bacteria that present risks to human health. Produce growers who fall under the FDA’s Produce Safety Rule must ensure any water they use before, during, or after harvest is of adequate quality,” the state health and agriculture departments warned.
Lower Arkansas Valley water supply and water quality officials said they worry that the impacts of the sewage contamination could be exacerbated by the ongoing drought. When spills can’t be contained, “dilution is the solution” is a common public health mantra, but with extremely low water levels in many Colorado river systems, there are no surges of water for dilution.
The state agriculture department notified registered produce growers along the valley, and also warned the ranchers with property along the way who may use river water.
Pueblo’s Wastewater Department warned downstream communities to avoid contact with unfiltered river through at least Aug. 31, including Avondale, Boone, Fowler, Manzanola, Rocky Ford, Swink, La Junta and Las Animas.