| Castlewood creek popular despite E. coli levels | |
| By STEPHEN DEERE |
Source: stltoday |
7/27/2010 |
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The creek forms a pool at a concrete bridge, and on most days, the water is so clear, you can see the rocky bottom 4 feet below the surface.
It's an inviting respite from the heat after a hike through Castlewood State Park, in St. Louis County just south of Ballwin. Thirsty dogs lap up the waters of Kiefer Creek. When the temperature rises, mothers wade in with their children. Teenagers drift lazily in the gentle current.
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But while the popular swimming hole is no more than 20 yards in diameter, the question lately is just how safe it is to wade into the water.
A monitoring station about a half-mile upstream has for years has registered high levels of E. coli, bacteria that can cause symptoms similar to food poisoning.
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