Five Berrien County beaches show unsafe levels of E. coli

 

BERRIEN COUNTY, Ind.-- Wednesday afternoon showed car after car with folks attempting to visit Jean Klock Park, but were forced to turn around because the beach was closed. It's one of five Berrien County beaches showing high levels of E. Coli contamination in the water.

The four other affected beaches are Rocky Gap County Park, Weko Beach, Warren Dunes Park, and Union Pier.

Berrien County Health Officer, Guy Miller, said the department cannot guarantee what the route of transmission was and how the bacteria got in the water, causing this spike.

"It's typically from regular animal waste, animal feces, getting washed in through a tributary, a river, or a stream into Lake Michigan," Miller said. "Where we're located, if you get a west wind, that really stops fresh water from coming in and diluting the bacteria that could be forming."

Miller says they sample the water each week, wading out six feet into the lake to do so.

"The last sampling that we did Monday did result in 5 beaches having higher than what we would consider safe levels of e. Coli," he said. "So, therefore, we're advising people not to have body contact with the water."

Because E. Coli is naturally occurring, it's not advisable to kill it or "clean it up," Miller said, but rather, the health department is advising no swimming until the bacteria can dilute to safer levels.

Interestingly, the E. Coli did not affect every Berrien County beach, like Silver Beach, for example, and that's because of how the water flows on a particular day and the wind, Miller said.

What's also interesting is there were three beach closures earlier this year, plus five now, despite zero instances of E. Coli last year.

The bacteria can cause infections like pink eye, and if ingested, can cause an upset stomach, diarrhea, fever, etc.

"If you're drinking the water, that's going to be your biggest concern," Miller said. "And that's hard to do, especially with little ones at the beach, and it's fresh water. Usually in saltwater, it's a little bit easier to have the kids not drink the water. But in Lake Michigan, it's fresh water, you get a little bit in your mouth, you might swallow it. And that is the greatest risk."

Miller said they will re-test the water first thing Thursday morning if lake conditions are safe, and they hope to have the beaches open again this weekend.

More information about the beach monitoring beach sample results can be found here.