Lower Big Sandy at Rockville

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Lower Big Sandy Creek at Rockville is monitored directly downstream of the Rockville Bridge (River Left)

Note: this is not a designated swimming area. Dangerous whitewater (Class V) is found directly below this access point. Swimming is not advised.

Private property is found on River Left of the Creek, Please respect those property boundaries. Parking is not available river left. The bridge is currently closed, so this location must be approached from the River Right side (Pisgah side - off Coopers Rock exit of I-68). The road down to the put in is also very rocky and rugged. Only high clearance vehicles should attempt driving down to this location.

River Right has public stream access for Experienced Whitewater Paddlers.

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COVID-19

Keep your distance from other people.

Practicing social distancing is still essential. Only go to the beach if you are able to keep 6 feet or 2 meters away from others. Follow the instructions provided by your local health authorities. If your community has asked that you remain indoors and away from others, do so. Spending a day in any crowded place is the worst thing we can do for our most vulnerable right now and will counter our efforts to curb the virus’s spread.

Water Quality

Met water quality standards less than 60% of the time
Historical Status
This status is based on the latest sample, taken on October 5th, 2022. Friends of the Cheat updates the status of this beach as soon as test results become available. These results were posted to Swim Guide on October 10th, 2022 at 5:06 PM.

For water quality icon legend, click:

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Monitoring Frequency

Source Information

Friends of the Cheat staff, interns, and volunteers monitor water quality in this region. Friends of the Cheat monitors river recreation sites of the Cheat River.
Sites are monitored for E. coli and total coliform as well as temperature, pH, and conductivity.

Bacteriological samples are analyzed using the IDEXX Quanti-Tray/2000 method
Samples are collected throughout the year. Water is monitored twice per month during peak river recreation months (April – September) and once per month during the off-season (October – March). Samples are generally collected on Wednesdays and results are posted on Fridays.

Advisory issued when E. coli concentration is greater than 410 CFU/100 mL.
A beach is Green when E.coli is less than 410 CFU/100 mL.
A beach is Red when E.coli is equal to or more than 410 CFU/100 mL

Water Quality Graph