St. Marys riverkeeper warns of E. coli outbreak in Egans Creek

FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. — Egans Creek is a tributary to the St. Marys River, so it’s common to see people launching their boats, kayaks and even going fishing.

St. Marys riverkeeper Rick Frey said now is not a good time for any of those activities.

“We've been noticing an increase in E. coli at various parts of the river,” Frey said.

Frey said the bacteria has shown up in three locations near Atlantic, Sadler, and at the mouth of Egans Creek.

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“The possibility of developing usually digestive issues, nauseousness, diarrhea, dehydration,” Frey said.

And in severe cases, death.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is now trying to narrow down exactly where the bacteria is showing up to hopefully find the source of the contamination.

“My belief is that we need to post the areas immediately warning people of the possible impact of E. coli,” Frey said.

If it’s caused by humans, Frey blames poorly maintained septic systems.

For now, Frey is hoping people will heed the warning and stay out of the creek.

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“We want to make sure everybody is aware that we have an E. coli outbreak and they need to be extremely cautious,” Frey said.

Action News Jax has asked the DEP why there are no signs letting people know about the bacteria. We’re waiting to hear back.

The DEP said it will continue testing to identify the source. The next sampling event is on Aug. 7.

Cox Media Group