By Susan Redden

sredden@joplinglobe.com

Parts of several streams in Jasper and Newton counties were classified as “impaired” earlier this year, but two residents concerned about water quality say more should be added to the federal listing.

Wayne Christian, of Carthage, and Dewayne Miller, of Goodman, say bacteria levels are high on streams throughout the region, based on tests done by health departments and volunteer stream teams last summer.

The two have compiled results of tests done by health departments in Jasper, Newton and Lawrence counties in Missouri, the Cherokee County Health Department in Kansas and the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma.

The information will be shared with the participating agencies, and submitted to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, to support an argument that more streams should be classified as impaired.

The classification made by the Federal Environmental Protection Agency starts a process designed to identify and reduce pollutants causing the impairment.

“What this shows is what we’ve been saying for years in Jasper County — that a lot more streams needed to be classified,” Christian said.

A former science teacher, Christian sponsored a Carthage High School stream team that spearheaded bacteria testing of waters in Spring River near Carthage. Testing also was done by the Newton County Health Department and other agencies.

In 2007, testing programs were started by the Jasper and Lawrence county health departments, and the data compiled by Christian and Miller show results on 117 stream sites in Southwest Missouri. The compilation suggests, the two said, high bacteria levels, including E. coli, throughout the region.

In Jasper County, E. coli levels exceeded what is considered safe by state and federal levels at nearly all the testing sites, throughout the summer, Christian said. That includes sampling done by the stream team and tests of samples taken by the Jasper County Health Department on parts of Spring River, Turkey Creek, Jones Creek, Center Creek, Buck Branch and Dry Fork.

Testing in Newton County found high E. coli levels on parts of Indian Creek, Clear Creek, Shoal Creek, Cedar Creek, Little Lost Creek, Willow Branch and Hickory Creek.

Levels of E. coli exceeding state and federal standards also were found in tests in Lawrence County and in sampling done by the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma.

Tests done on streams in Jasper and Newton counties were cited when DNR proposed them to the federal Environmental Protection Agency as “impaired due to high bacteria counts,” said John Ford, of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

The EPA has accepted the recommendation on parts of Capps Creek and Lost Creek in Newton County, and still is evaluating recommendations on Hickory and Indian creeks in Newton County and Spring River in Jasper County, Ford said.