Sound Rivers announced on July 10, 2026, that four sites failed to meet recreational water-quality standards on the lower Neuse this week: Lawson Creek in New Bern, Brices Creek in James City, Trent Woods on the Trent River and Slocum Creek in Havelock, according to a press release.
“Slocum Creek has failed the Swim Guide test every week since program started Memorial Day weekend.”
“A ‘Swim Guide fail’ means elevated levels of fecal bacteria, which can come with increased risk of gastrointestinal illness and skin infections for pets and humans alike. Swim Guide is an international water-quality program conducted locally by Sound Rivers, an environmental nonprofit whose mission to keep North Carolina’s waterways fishable, swimmable and drinkable. This summer marks the ninth year of Swim Guide in the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico watersheds. The program runs from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend.”
“The 17 sites tested weekly on the lower Neuse include Old Waynesborough State Park in Goldsboro; N.C. Highway 11 and Oak Bluff Road boating access sites in Kinston; Maple Cypress boat ramp in Grifton; Cow Pen Landing boat ramp in Vanceboro; Glenburnie, Bridgeton Park, Lawson Creek, Spring Garden boat ramp and Blackbeard Sailing Club in the New Bern area; the River Bend kayak launch; Trent Woods on the Trent River; Brices Creek in James City; Slocum Creek in Havelock; Pollocksville boating access; and Pierce Creek and Midyette Street boat access in Oriental.”
“Results are released to the public on Friday afternoons throughout the summer atsoundrivers.org/swim-guide, through local media and text. To get results delivered weekly via text, text “Rivers” to 50155. Based in Raleigh, New Bern and Washington, Sound Rivers has worked for more than 40 years to protect the health of the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico rivers and the communities that rely on them. The two watersheds cover nearly a quarter of North Carolina.”
“Sound Rivers’ Swim Guide program is sponsored by the Water-Quality Fund in memory of Gene Pate, Grady-White Boats, Public Radio East, 99.5 The Wave, Cummins, Eno River Association, UNC Lenoir Health Care, Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, UNC Pavel Molchanov Scholars, ECUSECU Public Fellows Internship Foundation, City of Greenville, The Actuality Preservation Fund, Blackbeard Sailing Club, Melinda Vann and David Silberstein,” the release said.
More information can be found on soundrivers.org.
By Wendy Card, editor. Send an email with questions or comments.