(Des Moines) The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is advising the public not to swim at 10 state park beaches after water samples collected this week showed elevated bacteria levels, harmful algal toxins, or both.
Swimming is not recommended at the following beaches:
-Backbone Beach in Delaware County – E. coli levels exceeded both the single-sample and five-sample geometric mean standards.
-Black Hawk Beach in Sac County – E. coli levels exceeded both the single-sample and five-sample geometric mean standards.
-Lake Darling Beach in Washington County – E. coli levels exceeded both the single-sample and five-sample geometric mean standards, and algal toxin levels exceeded the action level.
-Lake of Three Fires Beach in Taylor County – Algal toxin levels exceeded the action level.
-Nine Eagles Beach in Decatur County – E. coli levels exceeded the five-sample geometric mean standard.
-North Twin Lake East Beach in Calhoun County – Algal toxin levels exceeded the action level.
-North Twin Lake West Beach in Calhoun County – E. coli levels exceeded the five-sample geometric mean standard.
-Pine Lake South Beach in Hardin County – E. coli levels exceeded both the single-sample and five-sample geometric mean standards.
-Pleasant Creek Beach in Linn County – E. coli levels exceeded the five-sample geometric mean standard.
-Prairie Rose Beach in Shelby County – E. coli levels exceeded the single-sample standard.
The DNR conducts routine water quality monitoring at all state park beaches and many locally managed beaches across Iowa during the recreation season, which runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The monitoring program is designed to help protect public health by identifying elevated bacteria levels or harmful algal blooms that may pose a risk to swimmers.
Beach conditions are updated as new test results become available. Current water quality information for Iowa beaches is available on the Iowa DNR’s beach monitoring website at https://programs.iowadnr.gov/aquia/beaches.
