The BacteriALERT Program was initiated within the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (CRNRA) in 2000. The CRNRA, a 48-mile river park between Buford Dam and Peachtree Creek, contains about three-fourths of all public green space in the 10-county metro Atlanta area. In 1999, the recreation area attracted about 2.9 million visitors with nearly 30 percent of those participating in water-based recreation.

BacteriALERT is a partnership between state and federal agencies and non-profit organizations, including the National Park Service, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Georgia EPD, UCR, Georgia Conservancy, and the Trust for Public Land. UCR staff take regular water samples at Paces Ferry Bridge near Vinings. In 2005, the city of Atlanta and Cobb County provided funds to help USGS, the NPS and UCR implement this important monitoring program.

The main objective of this project is to collect and analyze water samples for total coliform and Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria. Results are posted on a publicly-accessible web site within 24 hours of data collection. This web site provides river users with current predictions of E. coli bacteria concentrations within the CRNRA. Predicting bacteria concentrations in "real time" requires using other indicators, in this case, turbidity, that have a correlation to bacteria.

---

Please also visit these sections:
Permit Review and Comment
Fisherman’s Right-to-Know Regulations
Fish Consumption Guidelines