There’s an extreme heat wave coming. If you’re thinking about cooling off in one of Iowa’s beaches the week of June 29, make sure that the water is safe for swimming.
Ten beaches are not recommended for swimming this week. That’s the same number as last week, but the exact beaches have changed.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources provides weekly updates on which state beaches are experiencing high levels of E. coli or algae that can be dangerous to swimmers. You can check the latest reports on the DNR website or by calling (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 before Memorial Day and runs through Labor Day.
What Iowa DNR beaches are not recommended for swimming?
Backbone Beach
Black Hawk Beach
Lake Darling Beach
Lake of Three Fires Beach
Nine Eagles Beach
North Twin Lake East Beach
North Twin Lake West Beach
Pine Lake South Beach
Pleasant Creek Beach
Prairie Rose Beach
Which Iowa beaches have improved to ‘OK for swimming’?
Three beaches have made it back onto the OK list since June 19:
Which Iowa beaches have special statuses?
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:
Lucia Cheng is a service and trending reporter at the Des Moines Register. Contact her at lcheng@gannett.com or 515-284-8132.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Swimming not recommended at these 10 Iowa beaches as heat wave nears
Reporting by Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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By Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register | USA TODAY Network
