Despite the challenges of 2020, CRC partners and volunteers continued collecting and testing water samples for bacteria at recreation sites along the Connecticut River and many tributary rivers.
Weather plays a big role in the cleanliness of rivers. This graph shows a summary for all sites sampled in 2020 by CRC and partners. In dry weather, bacteria levels were low enough for swimming or boating roughly 95% of the time. However, in wet weather, it was clean enough for swimming or boating less than 80% of the time. For this reason, it is recommended to wait 24 to 48 hours after rain before going into rivers.
For more details about the bacteria monitoring program, about E. coli bacteria, or more details on sites sampled by CRC, read the 2020 Bacteria Monitoring Report.
