Study will dye Salmon Creek

Don't worry if you see Burnt Bridge Creek running red on Wednesday.

The state Department of Ecology will dump a harmless fluorescent dye into Burnt Bridge Creek near Interstate 205 on Wednesday.

"We want residents along the creek to know that they shouldn't worry if they see a reddish, fluorescent color in the creek," said Stephanie Brock, an environmental engineer with the state.

Information from the flow test will reveal how long it takes water to move through a given stretch of the creek. The information will be incorporated into a computer model to help scientists understand how to improve the creek's overall water quality.

The creek, which bisects the center of Vancouver before flowing into Vancouver Lake, violates state standards for fecal coliform bacteria, warm temperatures, acidity and dissolved oxygen.

The agency conducted a similar test on another stretch of Burnt Bridge Creek in July. Two years ago, it dumped the dye into the East Fork of the Lewis River at Daybreak Park.