Hi, I know you dog owners are going to hate me for this, but I think I have a valid point here that deserves discussion. I am not a regular here, nor to Deep Creek - I go once or twice a year on average. But maybe that gives me some objectivity that you who go there regularly do not have.

I just read the Willa Zoe post re protozoa at DC and I also read all the rest of the thread re skin rash, including Wizard's post, which I will quote and respond to here.

This is the first I have heard about these protozoa and frankly it concerns me. Please believe me whe I say I am not easily scared off from Mother Nature. I travel frequently in Central America, go into the jungles, drink the water, eat the food, swim in the creeks and oceans and yes go in the hot springs.

However, it seems there is some evidence that there may be a dangerous protozoa in the pools. Maybe isolated to the deepest pool up above, maybe not. We don't know, really.

First let me respond to what Wizard wrote, which I quote here because I think he makes some excellent points:
"Yep! There are so many " Great " reasons to close DCHS, and willing eager " experts " ready to do the deed in the name of public safety. Rashes, lots of people, trash, guns, slippery rocks, yuckie dirt, relaxed doggies, snow, lightning, floods, fires, where do you poo, extreme heat, rattlesnakes, Lions and Tiger and Bears, oh my! Its just not safe! Its amazing that those of us who visit this Oasis regularly, have even lasted this long!... Alot of these fearful folk, never even go to these wonderful outdoor places, like DCHS, so what do they have to lose. It will be a shameful and sad day if DCHS is ever closed, due to the over-reaction mentality that is pervasive in this countries long list of thoughtful and caring agencies, who have nothing but our best interest in mind."

I agree with most of what Wizard said above, and for this reason I am torn whether or not to take this protozoa "threat" seriously. I know that bureaucrats tend to over-react, especially in this age of lawsuits and overly careful public servants. I have found myself saying the same thing when people for example ask, "Why would you even go to Central America? You could get mugged or killed, you could get sick from the food or water..." etc... And I say, "The risks are exaggerated; I've never had a problem." And I do see how I could say the same thing here, and I can see that this could easily be a case of overly-cautious government bureaucrats wanting to close Deep Creek so as not to have ANY risk of problems down the road. "It's easier to just keep people away from there." But that would be a real shame and a terrible thing to do, if there is indeed minimal risk.

So here is what I have to say about this "threat" of protozoa:

I think dogs should be banned from entering the pools. Even if there is no protozoa problem from dogs, personally I'd just as soon not get into a pool where a possibly dirty, possibly peeing, possibly pooping dog is, or has been. I feel the same way about babies. Babies and dogs do not control their bladder and bowels the way an adult human does, and being that it's a public place with a POTENTIAL for protozoa, I think keeping dogs and babies out of the pools is prudent and responsible behavior. Actually I have always felt this way, before I read about the protozoa, but now I must speak out.

As I said, I can just hear most of you here defending the right to let your dogs (and babies) enter the pools, and calling me a dog hater and child hater - which I am not. I have had dogs in the past and intend to have dogs in the future (I live in an apartment in the city now, but not forever.) However I never did let my dogs go into public pools.

But it seems to me that if there are symptoms of protozoa, and if the pools are a breeding ground for this protozoa; and if that protozoa can come from dogs or humans pooping in pools, then I think banning dogs and babies from pools is the right thing to do.

Which is better, to let the Forest Service close the pools due to protozoa or to head them off at the pass by taking steps to minimize the risk?

And can we have a test done to see if there indeed ARE these protozoa in the pools? Maybe get donations to run such a test on our own?

Also, is there any otehr way we can make the pools safer? Can water circulation be increased, or the pools be cleaned up by hand? I would volunteer to help in such an effort.

Thanks for hearing me out even though I am fairly certain my opinion is unpopular here, and I fully expect to be flamed.