SWIM GUIDE SAMPLING
Swim Guide delivers free real-time water quality information for over 7,000 beaches, lakes, rivers, and swimming holes in Canada, the U.S., Mexico, the Bahamas, Ireland, France, New Zealand, and Australia. It helps you easily find your closest beaches, know at a glance which ones are safe for swimming, and share your love of beaches with friends and family.
Created and managed by Swim Drink Fish Canada (formerly Lake Ontario Waterkeeper), Swim Guide can be used by any public interest club, organization, or agency to share beach information with the public.
Want to help us out? Please consider sponsoring one water sample for Swim Guide for $30, or sponsor a site for the entire summer for $500 here!
RESULTS
WEEK OF JUNE 4, 2025
We saw much lower E. coli levels this Wednesday after a dry week! All sites passed this week! We did experience some rain today in part of the watershed; therefore, the E. coli levels may have increased since yesterday when samples were collected. Enjoy the water this weekend!
Special thanks to our Swim Guide sponsors- Cube Hydro Carolinas and Bill Jenkins & Pam Townsend, and all our sampling volunteers!
WEEK OF MAY 28, 2025
Only 9 out of 26 sites met the EPA's E. coli water quality guideline for safe recreational use this week. 7 of the passing sites are in the Upper Yadkin River basin: Happy Valley School, Yadkin Valley Park, Ferguson, Berry Mountain, Boomer, Smoot Park, and the Tailwater at W. Kerr Scott Dam. The other two passing sites are located on High Rock Lake: Flat Swamp and Buddle Creek swim areas. Most of the river sites failed this week due to the high amount of rain and runoff we experienced this week. We advise you to avoid direct contact with the failing sites this weekend and use caution if recreating.
Special thanks to our Swim Guide sponsors- Cube Hydro Carolinas and Bill Jenkins & Pam Townsend, and all our sampling volunteers!
WEEK OF MAY 21, 2025
The first week of Swim Guide water quality sampling results are in, and 9 out of 22 sites sampled this week passed the EPA's E. coli guidelines for safe recreational use. Due to rainy conditions during the week leading up to water sample collection, we are seeing elevated levels of E. coli at most of the river sites. With higher amounts of precipitation, there is a greater amount of runoff carrying pollutants such as E. coli entering our waterways.
Special thanks to our Swim Guide sponsors- Cube Hydro Carolinas and Bill Jenkins & Pam Townsend!