Joyce L. Miller
joyce.miller@lakesunonline.com
Public beaches at the Lake of the Ozarks State Park will remain closed until further notice while the Missouri Department of Natural Resources continues to test water samples for elevated levels of bacteria.
Until tests indicate its safe, swimmers should avoid the beaches. The most recent round of testing indicates it is not safe for full body contact.
DNR will be posting new signs to warn swimmers. The signs that are currently in place do not indicate why the beaches are closed. There have been reports of swimmers continuing to use the beaches.
DNR has been watching the levels at the beaches since the first of the month when routine water samples came back with unacceptable results.
DNR operates two public beaches at Lake of the Ozarks State Park — Public Beach No. 1 and Grand Glaize Beach. Like all designated beaches in the state park system, water at the beaches is sampled weekly to ensure a safe public swimming area. When bacterial levels, such as the levels for E. coli, surpass a certain level, the beaches are closed and warnings are posted to alert swimmers.
According to DNR spokeswoman Sue Holst recent water samples at both beaches at the Lake of the Ozarks State Park have shown that bacteria levels exceed those suggested for public swimming.
The beaches have been closed and the information has been posted at the beach and on the park’s Web site at www.mostateparks,com. Sampling will continue and the beaches will be reopened when bacteria levels return to an acceptable level.
High bacteria levels often occur during rainy times when runoff from the surrounding area washes into the coves. Not surprisingly, recent water samples at both beaches showed bacteria levels that exceeded those for public swimming, she said.
Holst said a possible contributing factor at the Grand Glaize Beach may be a large flock of geese, which we are exploring. The Missouri Department of Conservation has been contacted and will be working with park staff to help address this issue.
Weather permitting, the water samples are taken each Monday and transported to the lab for testing. DNR usually has the results on Thursday or Friday and the parks are notified at that point, she said.
Here’s what happened:
•The samples showing high bacterial levels for Grand Glaize Beach (PB#2) came back on June 12 so the beach was closed on Friday, June 12; samples taken June 15 came back June 18 and are still high so GGB will remain closed.
•Public Beach #1 showed high levels on June 5 forcing DNR to close the beach. Samples on June 12 tested okay so the beach was reopened June 12. Samples taken on June 15 and returned on June 18 showed high levels shutting the beach down for a second time.
•The signs currently posted at the parks indicate the beach is closed. New signs will be put up indicating the beach is closed due to high bacterial levels. This will further explain to swimmers why the beach is closed.
