Lake Woebegone Water Woes: Is It Safe to Swim?
They will have to cancel the triathlon if the river doesn't clean up in Paris. It makes you wonder if they ever did tests on all the lakes in Montana to see if they can pass standards for E. coli.
Most of the problem, they say, stems from runoff. All of our lakes are from one kind of runoff or another. We always swam in lakes as kids and never got sick. There are some lakes in Montana that are just better than others. I like the ones now that tend to have clear water. Of course, my favorite is Crystal Lake, although I haven't been there for five years or so.
I've water-skied in the Bighorn and also have dipped into Deadman's and Cooney, but the dirty water just isn't as inviting anymore. They have seen a big increase in attendance now at Lake Elmo since they dredged that out, so it's probably a little better, but that is filled by the big ditch, and people throw all kinds of stuff in that.
Some of these lakes can even cause skin reactions. I love the oceans and always have. They're so big it's hard to hurt that water.
I've never been in any of the lakes in western Montana, but they never seem to have any problems there, and the water tends to be colder.
I guess my point is, that anytime you swim outdoors in a natural water hole, there is always a risk of something, but who wants to live in a bubble their whole life?
See you tomorrow at 5.
See If You Can Identify These Montana Lakes Using Google Earth Images
Gallery Credit: Ashley