A rarity: No state beaches have swim warnings

Sunset over West Okoboji Lake. (Photo by Perry Beeman/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

None of the state’s more than 40 monitored beaches has a warning against swimming because of unsafe bacteria or toxins this week, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

That did not happen during the monitoring season last year, which typically goes from late May to early September. There were at least two beaches and as many as 16 each week last year at which swimming was not recommended because of elevated bacteria or toxin concentrations, according to data collected by the Iowa Environmental Council. Further historical data about the beach monitoring was not immediately available.

Unsafe concentrations can result in skin irritation, infections and illness. Bacteria growth is often fostered by animal feces and fertilizers.

Last week there were three beaches with worrisome bacteria concentrations at Backbone, Beeds Lake and Prairie Rose state parks. The week before that there were eight.

There are, however, three city and county parks this week that are not managed by the state that had elevated bacteria concentrations in water near their beaches. They include the Big Sioux Recreation Area in Sioux County and two beaches at Storm Lake in Buena Vista County: the Bel Air and Old Water Plant beaches.

Storm Lake beach bacteria levels have improved from last week, when a different beach had nearly 50 times the threshold the DNR uses to issue swim warnings.

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