Iowa’s list of beaches not recommended for swimming is piling up, going from one to nine in just one week, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
Wondering how can you check up on water monitoring, beach classifications and know what locations are open or closed? Iowa Department of Natural Resources tracks it all and updates the public weekly on its website and using a phone hotline at 515-725-3434.
The DNR collects weekly samples at 39 state-owned swimming beaches to determine the public’s risk of coming in contact with waterborne diseases. Testing starts a week prior to Memorial Day and runs through Labor Day.
What Iowa DNR beaches are not recommended for swimming?
Backbone Beach
Beeds Lake Beach
Black Hawk Beach
Blue Lake Beach
Bobwhite State Park
Emerson Bay Beach
Nine Eagles Beach
North Twin Lake West Beach
Pine Lake South Beach
What Iowa beaches have a special status?
Lake Keomah Beach: Monitoring by DNR has been suspended for the 2025 season. The DNR drained the lake in July 2024 for a major renovation and water quality improvement project that will last until spring 2026. The DNR warns people to stay out of the lake bed, which might look dry, but is soft and could quickly entrap people.
What beaches have improved to ‘OK for swimming’?
There are no improvements on week five’s data. The only beach on the “not recommended for swimming” list in week four’s data, Emerson Bay Beach, is still vulnerable.
How does the Iowa DNR classify Iowa’s beaches based on their water quality?
DNR officials classify state park beaches into one of three categories annually based on their history of bacteria results in recent years:
Vulnerable: Beaches are considered vulnerable when the geometric mean standard is exceeded in three or more of the five most recent sampling seasons.
Transitional: The beach’s geometric mean standard is exceeded in two or fewer sampling seasons of the five most recent years of monitoring and was listed as “vulnerable” in the past monitoring seasons.
Less vulnerable: The beach’s geometric mean standard is exceeded in two or fewer sampling seasons of the five most recent years of monitoring and was listed as “transitional” or “less vulnerable” in past monitoring seasons.
Victoria Reyna-Rodriguez is a general assignment reporter for the Register. Reach her at vreynarodriguez@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter @VictoriaReynaR.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Nine Iowa beaches test for high E. coli this week. Where is swimming not recommended?
Reporting by Victoria Reyna-Rodriguez, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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