High bacteria levels found at 3 West Michigan beaches

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy says three Allegan County beaches are closed for elevated levels of E. coli.

The boat launch at Swan Lake , Gun Lake County Park Beach and Pier Cove Beach on Lake Michigan all have active advisories in place.

According to EGLE’s BeachGuard system , all three beaches were closed Thursday and the high bacteria levels were likely caused by storm water runoff.

The Michigan Public Health Code set the water quality standard for E. coli at 300 bacteria per 100 milliliters on any daily reading and 130 bacteria per 100 ml over a 30-day average.

Samples gathered on Wednesday at Pier Cove and Gun Lake showed levels above 700 bacteria per 100 ml. Swan Lake’s sample came back just above 300.

It’s the first closure of the year for Gun Lake and Swan Lake. Pier Cove was also closed for one day earlier this month.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , most kinds of E. coli are harmless, but some can make you sick. Infections caused by those bacteria can cause diarrhea, urinary tract infections, pneumonia and even sepsis.

The Allegan County Health Department listed several ways to try to limit the possibility of contracting an illness from the water, including using the restroom before swimming and avoiding water that “smells foul, looks murky or immediately after a heavy rain.” The agency also encourages people not to swallow lake water and to wash their hands before eating.

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