(Des Moines)– Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources say budget cuts won’t get in the way of a program that monitors 38 state park beaches for dangerous levels of bacteria, including several here in the Iowa Great Lakes.
Jason McCurdy, coordinator of the DNR’s beach monitoring program, says they’ll begin the weekly testing program May 23rd which will continue into September. Results will be posted on the DNR’s website at www.iowadnr.gov.
Beach water samples are compared to water quality standards to determine the risk of waterborne illnesses for swimmers. McCurdy says a “swimming is not recommended” sign will be posted on a state park beach if the five most recent samples within a 30-day period exceeds the standard; or if the beach has had bacteria problems in the past and one sample exceeds the standard.
McCurdy says posting a swimming advisory does not close a beach. But he says the DNR reserves the right to close a beach in the event of a documented health risk.
In addition to state park beaches, McCurdy says some county and city-run beaches and other locally managed recreational areas have volunteered to participate in the beach monitoring program this year.
