Parents urged to be cautious around creek

Friendswood — Parents should exercise caution before allowing children or pets to play in or near Cowards Creek, where elevated levels of animal waste were blamed for clouding the water and killing some fish this week, county officials say.

County officials and investigators from Pearland say water samples, including from near Baker Road in Friendswood, show high levels of bacteria associated with fecal matter in Cowards Creek this week. The presence of fecal coliform in water can cause illness and infections.

Ronnie Schultz, director of environmental health programs for the Galveston County Health District, said swimmers should be cautious near Cowards Creek, which runs from Brazoria County through northern Galveston County.  Anyone who swims in the creek, or in any non-chlorinated waters for that matter, should treat any cuts and wounds with anti-bacterial medications and clean their ears thoroughly, Schultz said.

The city of Pearland led the investigation, which began Wednesday after the water’s clarity changed and there were reports of a small fish kill in Cowards Creek. Friendswood city officials had advised parents to keep pets and children out of the water.

Shohn Davison, an investigator with Pearland’s fire marshal’s office, said what likely occurred was fecal matter from nearby farms had accumulated in fields because of lack of rains. But when heavy rains arrived last week, it washed the fecal matter from pigs and cows into the creek.

When water levels dropped, the fecal matter stagnated, and bacteria bloomed, lowering oxygen levels and killing some fish, Davison said.

Officials with Pearland, Friendswood, the Galveston County Health District, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department participated in the investigation. The Texas Railroad Commission also participated.

For More Information Contact:
Kurt Koopmann
Public Information Officer
Galveston County Health District
409-938-2211 or 409-392-0007
kkoopman@gchd.org