From about Memorial Day through Labor Day, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) conducts weekly monitoring of bacterial pollution in Iowa’s 39 state park beaches.
The DNR analyzes water samples from the beaches for certain one-celled microorganisms, known as indicator bacteria, that are visible only under a microscope. High levels of E. coli, a common indicator bacteria, indicate feces is in the water. Livestock are the most common source of feces in surface waters in Iowa.
These indicator bacteria are commonly used by state environmental agencies and by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to determine the suitability of beaches for swimming-type uses.
Microcystin, a toxin produced by harmful blue-green algae blooms, has also often been detected in Iowa’s water bodies.
Due to health risks, when microcystin or E. coli levels exceed certain standards/thresholds, the DNR posts swim advisories telling beach-goers to stay out of the water.
The Iowa DNR and the Iowa Environmental Council track these weekly beach monitoring reports and swim advisories and compare advisory trends from year to year. To review recent trend data, visit the Iowa DNR website.
Sixteen beach advisories were issued for Iowa beaches for the week of August 1.
Fifteen beaches with an E. coli advisory:
- Backbone Beach (Dundee, Delaware County)*
- Beed’s Lake Beach (Hampton, Franklin County)*
- Brushy Creek Beach (Lehigh, Webster County)*
- Bobwhite State Park (Allerton, Wayne County)*
- Emerson Bay Beach (West Okoboji Lake, Milford, Dickinson County)*
- Lake Ahquabi Beach (Indianola, Warren County)*
- Lake Darling Beach (Brighton, Washington County)*
- Lake Manawa Beach (Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County)*
- Lake of Three Fires Beach (Bedford, Taylor County)*
- Lower Pine Lake Beach (Eldora, Hardin County)*
- McIntosh Woods Beach (Clear Lake, Ventura, Cerro Gordo County)*
- Nine Eagles Beach (Davis City, Decatur County)*
- Pleasant Creek Lake Beach (Palo, Linn County)*
- Prairie Rose Beach (Harlan, Shelby County)*
- Union Grove Beach (Gladbrook, Tama County)*
One beach with a microcystin advisory:
- McIntosh Woods Beach (Clear Lake, Ventura, Cerro Gordo County)*
Three beaches with an E. coli advisory:
- North Overlook Beach (Lake Red Rock, Pella, Marion County)**
- Sugar Bottom Campground Beach (Coralville Lake, Coralville, Johnson County)**
- Whitebreast Beach (Lake Red Rock, Pella, Marion County)**
Note: George Wyth Beach is closed due to flooding. Monitoring has been suspended at Lake Keomah due to renovation activities. No sample was collected this week at Rock Creek Beach. From the Army Corps of Engineers, Oak Grove Beach was not sampled due to high water elevations.
Para ver este aviso en español, haga clic aquí.
*Data from the Iowa DNR State Park Beach Monitoring Program
**Data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District