One of these days, Missouri’s Department of Natural Resources may be posting signs every 100 yards or so warning swimmers to stay out of Spring River because of human waste. Two water samples recently collected by a Carthage Senior High School volunteers found human fecal material near the dam below Spring River and very high levels of animal waste downstream. Such findings are not all that unusual in streams across the region.
Clean water is a precious resource that can be compromised by inattention to what is happening along the banks of our creeks and streams, and consequently to the quality of our surface water. Releases by plants that treat human waste, by leaking septic tanks and, of course, the offal of cattle, horses and fowl are the problem. Spring River, which eventually empties into Grand Lake in Oklahoma, isn’t the only waterway that may pose a health threat. Little Sac River also has shown evidence of human waste. It flows into Stockton Lake.
E. coli and enterococci bacteria have been found for several years in samples taken from five sites along Shoal Creek by the stream team, evidence that the problem isn’t going away. The presence of E. coli and enterococci in significant amounts can cause outbreaks of serious, even fatal, infections in humans.
What better argument than preserving the quality of Southwest Missouri’s water supplies can be made to legislative consideration for additional funding so DNR and counties can to do more testing? Certainly the state needs to be proactive in investigating the various sources of such pollution and take corrective action.
Only Lawrence County regularly takes samples from streams, lists waterways where significant rates of human waste are found and posts signs warning people to beware of the contents in the water.
Newton County is gearing up for such an approach. The problem for cash-strapped counties is finding the money to make the stream surveys and then to have the laboratory testing done. We believe that the state should step into the picture. Clean water is not just a Spring River or Carthage or Joplin problem, but one of statewide importance.
Finding the money may not be easy. But legislators should look long and hard to find additional dollars for such a program when they convene next month.
Opinion
In our view: Monitoring water quality
- Opinion
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Our View: Great divide
In 1975, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and the United States began meeting on an annual basis to coordinate economic policies.
Canada and Russia later joined this forum. Today and Saturday the G-8 summit will be held at Camp David, Md. -
Our View: Fiscal cliff
In August 2011, Congress and President Barack Obama agreed to tax increases and spending cuts to automatically take place in January of 2013.
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Our View: Ditto that
Lots of angry words are being tossed around about a secretive ceremony held Monday in our state Capitol to honor Rush Limbaugh’s induction as a member of the Hall of Famous Missourians. Let us add our “ditto” to that criticism.
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Our View: Linked for success
Dr. Richard Reed, a Joplin dentist, lost his office and equipment in the May 22 tornado.
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Your View: An alternative candidate
The bane of Duane Graham’s existence apparently is GOP politicians, other than those who provide him with derogatory commentary about the only competition his personal choice for president has (Globe, May 6).
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Kathleen Sebelius, guest columnist: Hospitals show collaborative ingenuity
As the anniversary of the past year’s tornado approaches, I’m reminded of the visit I made to Joplin shortly after the storm to check on federal efforts to support the recovery.
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Your View: Tribute to the community
I was a member of the orchestra for Dr. Hubert Bird’s presentation of “The Other Side of Storm” on May 12.
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Your View: Why stop there?
The Sunday Globe column (“Freight train of entitlements hard to stop,” May 13) by Richard La Near, our local 18th-century economist, did not go far enough.
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Your View: Listening on the lost side of town
There have been many changes in my community since May 22, 2011, when the largest tornado in modern history wiped out one-third of my town of Joplin.
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Other Views: War on terror isn't over
Weary of a war on terror that has gone on for years, we would like to declare victory and return to normalcy.
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