Let me preface this by saying as a kid I loved swimming in our nearby creek. It never occurred to me as a kid the stuff that could be floating around - but it was also out in the country where our nearest neighbor was about .25 mile down the road. So fast forward to this weekend when my LOs were exploring the creek behind their Uncle's house which is located in Austin and the creek crosses from northwest through town and out east. The water had a bit of visible pollution - shopping cart, various trash, etc. The other parents, including Dad, thought it was completely fine letting the kids swim and play in the water with not a care about run-off from the roads, yards, etc or the obvious signs of dumping. I had issues of course. I walked downstream looking for wildlife and did not see any fish or water bugs - which I thought was concerning. Am I being too cautious?
I did look up the water condition of the watershed and it gave it a "fair" score. So not totally bad, nor is it totally good. I still don't feel comfortable letting my LOs swim in a creek that has questionable environmental issues.
No - my kids would not be swimming in that. In the old days in the country the worst thing in the swimming holes was animal dropping and mud. These days, especially near a city where you can SEE shopping carts you gotta wonder what else is down there. Bleah.
Men are known for being far more wreckless with their family's and their own health. Dont' cave. A fair rating is still gross.
I wouldn't have my kids go in water like that.
And especially if they had any cuts or open wounds on them.
That is how Staph infections can occur too, for example.
My kids, wouldn't want to go in water like that, either.
And they wouldn't.
The rating alone indicates the creek was probably not suitable for swimming. It's a personal call and I won't comment as far as that goes. Good luck.
Per LCRA:
"Here's a primer on what the ratings mean:
•Excellent: All water quality parameters measured are within optimal ranges. The water quality supports all designated uses and is esthetically pleasing and suitable for swimming.
•Good: Most parameters are within acceptable ranges. Slight elevations in nutrients and/or dissolved oxygen levels just outside the preferred ranges may be present. Water quality supports most designated uses and is esthetically pleasing and suitable for swimming.
•Fair: Bacteria levels exceed state standards and/or nutrients are above the range suggested by screening levels. Water quality supports noncontact recreational uses but may not be suitable for swimming.
•Poor: This rating, used rarely, may occur if both bacteria and nutrients are at undesirable levels. Contact recreation (such as swimming) is not recommended. To date, major flood events have been the primary reason for poor ratings."
Well, in the Austin where *I* live (Austin, MN) you are actually "not allowed" to swim in the lakes or rivers because of issues like you describe. Also, in a neighboring town, a widely used lake was shut down last year because people were contracting some sort of flesh eating disease FROM the water.
I don't think you're being overly cautious. My children would absolutely not be allowed even to wade in water like you describe.
I am pretty flexible when it comes to stuff like that but I wouldn't let my kids swim in something that had trash in it. I've drank out of the creek , I've gone swimming in lakes , rivers etc but I wouldn't let my kid swim in a creek that had obvious trash in it,
There are a ton of things our parents let us do that we just can not do for our kids. I wouldn't feel comfortable with it either.
~I am a CA girl...spent most of my childhood at the beach...took my kids to the beach for the first time and was baffled by my parents ability to let us run free as kids, I just couldn't do it w/my own kids. My parents would just tell us to go have fun! Most of my memories all include coming in from swimming and having to walk up or down the beach for a *really* long time trying to find my parents b/c the currents had swept us so far away! I can not even imagine!
Our parents used to swim WAY out to beyond the bouyies (sp?) and I can recall starting to do that with my sister when I was about 9y/o...it was my first inclination to say to my kids 'C'mon lets go for a good long swim...but after a half second of thinking about it there is NO way I would allow my kids to come with me, the teenagers were allowed to come with me but not my younger kids! What were my parents thinking letting us do that alone?? Sheesh!
Nope. There's more in there these days than when we were young. I would not allow my kids to do that.
Dawn
Ugh. I'm not a germ phobe at all - probably too careless - but unless it was a sweltering day and no AC anywhere around, I wouldn't let my kids go in. And if they did go in bc of the sweltering weather, no way would they be allowed to put their heads under. So if no cuts etc, maybe I'd let them wade in one time up to their chests to cool off but that's it.
Nope, not if there is trash in it.
Bottom line - it is YOUR child. So if you don't feel comfortable - then that should be enough.
My kids play in a creek on our golf course. They don't swim in it because it's not really deep enough to "swim" but they do PLAY. I have told them - deer, squirrels, etc. poop and pee in that water...DO NOT swallow it...(LOL). that keeps their heads out of it!
I make sure that when they are playing it - they have their pool shoes on...golfers have thrown cans and bottles out (it is RARE) instead of putting them in trash cans...and there are people that party on the golf course after it closes....
Your kid. Your rules.
Relax and let your kids be kids! I loved exploring ALL waterways when I was a kids. Kids these days need more time to do that kind of thing. Keep up the good work!
I wouldn't let my kids swim or touch the water where there was any dumping. A shopping cart? trash? gross. You did the right thing- You are being a smart parent :)
I would probably be cautious just like you, honestly. But if it makes you feel any better, though, Austin is probably the greenest city on the planet. I grew up playing and swimming in Barton Springs, Barton Creek, Bull Creek, Shoal Creek, Brushy Creek, Onion Creek, Walnut Creek, etc. and I turned out fine! ;)
