MOBILE, Ala. — When thousands of swimmers flock to the emerald waters of Carters Lake each summer, water safety is paramount. Until recently, verifying that the lake's designated swim beaches met stringent federal and state water quality standards meant collecting water samples, driving them down to a contract laboratory in Calhoun, and waiting nearly a week for results.
That delay is now a thing of the past.
Starting on June 15, 2026, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Mobile District team at Carters Lake eliminated the intermediary by bringing advanced, on-siteE. colilaboratory testing equipment directly into the lake’s operations headquarters. The initiative delivers faster results, reduces government expenditures, and provides critical public health data before swimmers step foot in the water.
“Water Management is excited to share our expertise in water quality sampling with the project site offices,” said James Hathorn, Mobile District Chief of Water Management. “This partnership leads to cost saving measures, expanded capacities with the District and improved response time.”
Old Method vs. On-Site Innovation
Before implementing on-site testing, water samples had to be handled under operations and maintenance (O&M) contracts. The logistical turnaround often meant that by the time rangers received lab results, the holiday weekend had already passed. Today, the park rangers manage the entire lifecycle of the test internally.
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Metric / Feature Contracted Lab Testing (Previous) On-Site Ranger Testing (Current) Turnaround Time 5 business days (plus courier transit) 24 hours incubation Cost Per Sample ~$500 per sample ~$14 per sample Testing Location Off-site commercial lab (Calhoun, GA) On-site Carters Lake Operations Office Personnel Third-party O&M contractors USACE Park Rangers Sample Reading Time Dependent on external lab reporting 5 minutes to read and record Public Notification Speed Lagged by nearly a full week Available prior to peak weekend recreation
Hands-On Science at the Water's Edge
For Park Ranger Ashley McKittrick, who is in her second season at Carters Lake following six months of ranger service in Wisconsin, the transition to on-site testing represents a major operational leap forward.
"I really enjoy the science aspect of the job,"said McKittrick."People like data and having the capability to run these tests ourselves gives us immediate insight into our lake's health. When visitors or campers ask if the water is safe, our team can look them in the eye and say with 100 percent certainty: 'Yes, I just tested it this morning.'"
Carters Lake features two designated public swimming beaches that require routine compliance testing:Harris BeachandWoodring Campground Swim Beachnear Ellijay, Georgia. During the peak recreation season, rangers collect four sets of samples per month at each beach, maintaining a steady baseline of water safety.
Safeguarding Swimmers for Landmark Celebrations
Water testing is normally conducted each Thursday or Friday morning to ensure clean water ahead of routine weekend traffic. Ahead of peak holiday periods—such as the historic 250th Fourth of July anniversary weekend—rangers ran early sampling cycles to accommodate massive incoming crowds across north Georgia.
Allen Earhart, Carters Lake Operations Project Manager, noted that the shift to in-house analysis was driven by a shared commitment among project leadership and Mobile District Water Management to improve public responsiveness while stewarding taxpayer funds.
"The math and the mission both pointed in the exact same direction,"Earhart explained."At fourteen dollars a test instead of five hundred, the system pays for itself almost immediately. More importantly, getting results back in twenty-four hours instead of five business days allows us to make real-time operational decisions that protect the public."
Transparent Data for the Visiting Public
Once the 24-hour incubation period concludes, rangers inspect the sample trays under ultraviolet light. Reading the quantitative result takes less than five minutes, followed by immediate logging onto the district's environmental data tracking sheets.
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Communication Channel Information Provided Update Frequency Carters Lake Official Social Media (Facebook) Latest water quality test Weekly during swim season pass/fail status
Beach Information Kiosks (Harris & Woodring) Physical test score postings Updated prior to and advisory notices each weekend
Carters Lake Visitor Center Comprehensive seasonal logs Ongoing daily availability and water safety guides
By taking direct ownership of water quality analysis, the rangers at Carters Lake have transformed a routine compliance task into a proactive public health shield—keeping Georgia’s deepest lake clean, safe, and ready for visitors all season long.
“It’s our goal for the implemented Carters testing program to be the model for other District project offices,” said Hathorn.