Every year between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend, water quality press releases are sent out to the local news outlets to share with the public. These advisory notices include information related to water quality, specifically elevated bacteria levels (E. coli), and actions that you can take to help mitigate bacterial loads into our local creeks and rivers. Bear Creek and its tributaries regularly exceed state water quality standards for contact recreation during the summer season. This means that E. coli levels are higher than the state (Oregon Department of Environmental Quality) has deemed safe for people and animals to wade, swim, and come into contact with that water. At the bottom of these press releases, there is a list of creeks/rivers and the specific sections that should be avoided until bacteria levels decrease. Included below is an example of a summer water quality press release from June 4th, 2025:
The public can stay informed on the status of popular swimming areas by visiting the Swim Guide and checking Stream Smart’s Water Press Releases webpage.