Sonoma Creek may be full of excess pathogens - viruses, bacteria and protozoa that can make humans sick - but the San Francisco Bay Region California Regional Water Quality Control Board is making headway with plans to make the creek to safe again, even if it may take over a year to come up with new laws.

The board released their findings Thursday night during a scoping meeting at the Sonoma Community Center with a report that shows which sections of the creek have the highest and most dangerous levels of pathogens. The board's current will undergo many revisions and approvals, but the final plan will become the law and the board will work with local agencies to enforce it. Pathogens usually come from bacteria such as E. coli that get released into the watershed from human and animal fecal matter and land use problems such as septic systems, sanitary sewer system failures, municipal runoff, livestock and dairies.

As a result, anyone venturing into the creek risks contracting Hepatitis, gastrointestinal illnesses, skin rashes and eye, ear, nose and throat infections. To make it safe for people play to use the creek again, the board has established total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) for pathogens that will decrease the level of pathogens to a safe level that complies with the federal Clean Water Act and the California Environmental Quality Act. Their plan includes identifying the sources of pollutants, defining how much pollution the creek can hold while still meeting water quality standards and implementing solutions to the curb the sources of pollution.

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