Beach season is now in full swing, but travelers
may want to check their local water-quality reports before heading out for a
day on the shore.
According to
multiple reports, officials in several states have issued health alerts or
closed popular beaches entirely after water testing revealed high levels of
bacteria that could pose risks to swimmers. The warnings span various U.S.
regions, impacting areas such as Iowa, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Washington
state.
These latest
advisories reinforce ongoing concerns about the nation’s beaches. A report
released last year by the Environment America Research & Policy Center revealed
that "61% of U.S. beaches had potentially unsafe contamination levels in
2024," according to Fox
News.
The organization
noted that unhealthy water conditions are often due to fecal matter from sewage
overflows, urban runoff and waste from large-scale farming.
Iowa
The Iowa
Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is advising people against swimming at
six beaches across the state after routine testing detected elevated levels of
E. coli bacteria, including at Backbone Beach, Pine Lake South Beach, Geode
Lake Beach, Union Grove Beach, Pleasant Creek Beach and Nine Eagles Beach.
According to the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), normal E. coli bacteria naturally occur
in a healthy digestive tract, but some strains can cause serious illness,
particularly among young children, older adults and people with weakened immune
systems.
The Iowa DNR keeps
an updated webpage
where beachgoers can check current conditions at the state’s various beaches,
whether they’re open for swimming, under a health advisory, closed completely,
subject to special status, or there’s insufficient water-monitoring data.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts has
also had several beach closures this month due to water-quality issues,
including high bacteria levels and toxic blue-green algae. Affected locations
include Damon Pond Beach, the two Cliff Pond beaches, Cochituate State Park,
College Pond, both Fearings Pond beaches, Forest River and Juniper Point,
according to NBC
Boston.
The Massachusetts
Department of Public Health provides the public with an Interactive
Beach Water Quality Dashboard that updates water-testing data and beach
status hourly throughout the swimming season.
New Jersey
Meanwhile, Fox
Weather reported that health officials in New Jersey recently issued
swimming advisories for eight beaches and lakes after testing found high levels
of fecal bacteria. The affected locations include Ferry and Bay, Baywyn and
Bay, Wildwood and Bay, Cedar Point Beach, Beachwood Beach West, Mirror Lake,
Sleepy Lagoon and Vernon Valley Lake. Authorities closed Beesley’s Point Beach
altogether.
Washington
On the West Coast,
the State of Washington’s Department of Ecology beach advisory map indicated
that swimmers should be cautious about entering the water at Freeland County
Park/ Holmes Harbor, Walker County Park, Squaxin Park, Little Squalicum Park,
West Bay Park and Thea Foss Waterway because "increased levels of bacteria
are present, and a swimming advisory is issued by a local health department."
A few of these
swimming advisories are actually marked as “permanent,” due to ongoing water-quality
concerns.
The City of Kent
also announced
that the beach at Lake Meridian Park is currently closed due to elevated
bacterial levels.
Elsewhere in the U.S.
At the same time,
on the other side of the country, beaches are being made inhospitable in states
like Florida by a record-setting surge of sargassum
seaweed washing up onshore. Not only does sargassum clog up beachgoer
access to the sand and surf with unsightly, smelly clumps of algae, but it also
releases ammonia and hydrogen sulfide as it decays, which can adversely affect
the health of those exposed to it.
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