VALLEY — Testing the waters at Moore’s Creek has revealed the water is relatively safe in most places, according to Hannah Bradford, watershed protection specialist with Chattahoochee Riverkeeper.

The organization, along with representatives with the Moore’s Creek Project, fanned out along the Greater Valley Area on March 9 to test several spots on the creek for high levels of E.Coli.

Only one spot tested high for E.Coli based on standards by the Environmental Protection Agency. That one spot is near Fob James Drive on 24th Avenue.

Bradford said Riverkeeper will monitor the site on a regular basis for the next few weeks to see if there are any changes.

“It can spike from heavy rainfall or runoff,” she said. “If it continues to be a consistent issue, we will let the city of Valley know to do a further investigation.”

As of now, Bradford said she doesn’t think it will be a big problem, but if the levels continue to rise or don’t reduce, the organization will take action.

As for the other sites, the low E.Coli levels means the water in the creek is safe to be around, get in for a swim or come into a contact with skin. She said it will be interesting to see how much better it gets after the Moore’s Creek Project is finished with a planned restoration to reduce erosion and runoff, improving the water further.

Overall, Bradford said the event revealed great results.

“This event gave us a baseline to look at the creek and see where it is at and see if we need to make improvements,” she said. “I don’t see any issues.”

The next step is to set up regular monitoring stations at the Moore’s Creek site on 24th Avenue. She said it would be best for a volunteer to collect samples each week to keep a close eye on it.

Bradford said E.Coli levels can change a bit due to the season and the amount of rainfall in an area, so each test could be different, but she suspects the level will remind close to the same.

To volunteer with the Riverkeeper, call the office at 706-882-3701 or email Bradford at hbradford@chattahoochee.org.