Pulliam, who regularly tests surface water along stretches of the Dan, Mayo and Smith rivers, reported his findings on numerous state and regional recreational waterway websites and in a Facebook post on Sept. 1, cautioning swimmers and paddlers about recreational safety over the holiday weekend.

Pulliam helps coordinate such monitoring through Good Stewards of Rockingham County and the Dan River Basin Association, or DRBA. Both environmental groups promote conservancy, water quality and recreation safety along the county’s rivers.

E. coli, a bacteria associated with fecal matter, is commonly found in the lower intestines of humans and other warm-blooded organisms. If ingested, it can cause serious infections and symptoms including severe stomach cramps, bloody diarrhea, vomiting and fever.

“Very high E. coli readings for your Labor Day weekend throughout the Dan and Mayo rivers,’’ Pulliam wrote in a post on his Dan Riverkeeper…