Beachwood West Beach closed for rest of summer due to high bacteria levels

"

An Ocean County beach will remain closed to swimmers for the remainder of the summer due to high levels of fecal bacteria. The beach in question is Beachwood’s West Beach along the Toms River, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Red flags at the beach indicate that the river is not safe to swim in. The beach remains open for those who wish to sit on the sand or walk around. But no swimming is allowed. “The way the river works it's a reverse river, so the current that pulls in and then Cedar Creek comes in. So we don't get a strong current this far up north on the river,” says Beachwood resident Paul Allocco. “Whenever we get heavy rain, between like spring and summer, it just ends up having more of the deposit from the goose poop which causes the PH of the water to go pretty high.” The borough’s beach along the Toms River was closed last summer due to a lack of lifeguards. "