The sensors on this page are live from May 1 – October 31. They are dormant from November 1 – April 30 for the winter season.
The purpose of this web page is to promote public health and safety by helping people decide to enter the water when it is most likely to be safe. To safely engage in water sports, river users should know water conditions before entering the water. Rain events can cause water to become too high or too swift for recreation. Rain events can cause bacteria levels in river water to become unsafe for human contact. Bacteria can get into the river water from a variety of sources including pet waste, storm sewers, septic tanks, and farm fields. Bacteria can make people sick if they swallow the water.
Using research conducted by the Miami Conservancy District, this web app estimates the concentration of E. coli bacteria, an indicator of fecal pollution, during different weather conditions. The Ohio EPA defines water that is suitable for recreation as unsafe for human contact when E. coli is > 298 colony counts per 100 mL of water.