The Grand River Dam Authority issued an E. coli advisory Saturday for Elk River at Grand Lake and Wolf Bay at Lake Hudson. The advisory also applies to Flint Creek at West Siloam Springs and the Illinois River at the Highway 59 bridge, Chewey Bridge, Combs Bridge and in Tahlequah.
E. coli is a very common type of bacteria found in your digestive tract and the digestive tracts of many other creatures. But some E. coli, especially those found in the stomachs of cows and deer, produce a toxin that can make people sick. It's the same kind of E. coli that sometimes causes food poisoning.
Heavy rainfall can carry all kinds of things into rivers and lakes, including those toxin-producing E. coli from cow and deer poop. It's not unusual to see this time of year, according to a GRDA spokesperson, especially after a spring with as much rainfall as this one.
People planning to swim in or otherwise enjoy those areas over the coming days are advised to avoid letting water into their eyes, ears, nose, mouth or open cuts.
The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality has more information about how to stay safe from E. coli.
A spokesperson said the GRDA hasn't been able to update the advisory since Saturday, as heavy rainfalls and flooding have made sampling difficult.
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