MINNEAPOLIS — Talk about bad timing.
Four popular beaches in the City of Minneapolis are closed heading into the long July 4 weekend after water samples revealed bacteria levels that exceed state health guidelines.
The impacted beaches are both the North and 32nd Street beaches on Bde Maka Ska; The North Beach on Lake Harriet; and Hiawatha Beach on Lake Hiawatha. An interactive map on the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board website says recent tests show Bde Maka Ska beaches and Hiawatha Beach currently show high levels of E. coli.
Park Board crews monitor bacteria levels at city beaches weekly, and post a "Beach Closed" sign if a single water sample exceeds an E. coli count of 1,260 organisms per 100mL of water, or if the geometric mean of E. coli counts from 5 samples equally spaced over a 30-day period exceed 126 organisms per 100mL of water.
Here are some things to consider before diving into any lake, posted or not.
- Don't swim if you or your child have diarrhea or are sick.
- Be careful to not get lake water in your mouth.
- Wash your hands before eating and after changing a diaper.
- Avoid swimming for 48 hours after a heavy rainfall, when bacteria levels can be high.
- Towel dry immediately after exiting the water to prevent Swimmer's Itch.
- Do not swim in water that looks like “pea soup” or spilled paint floating on the surface.
- Keep children and pets out of blue-green algae scum.
For more on beaches in the city of Minneapolis, including hours, lifeguard status and health advisories, check out the MPRB website.
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