(WWJ) - Before you pack up for your weekend lake trip, you might want to check if your beach is safe for swimming as multiple beaches were closed due high bacterial levels.
As of Friday afternoon, the Michigan Environment, Great Lakes and Energy listed nine closures for beaches across the Lower Peninsula including shutdowns in Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, and Washtenaw Counties.
Other counties with affected beaches are Arenac, Barry, Roscommon, and Gladwin Counties.
The complete list is a follows:
• Saginaw Bay-Lake Huron, Singing Bridge Beach
• Thornapple Lake - Charlton Park
• Lake St. Clair - St. Clair Shores Memorial Park Beach
• Houghton Lake - Lakeview Park
• Ross Lake - Beaverton City Park
• Island Lake - North Park Beach
• Lake Erie - Sterling State Park
• Lake Erie - Luna Pier City Beach
• Independence Lake - Independence Lake County Park
Officials said recent rainstorms across the state and a large presence of ducks and geese at beaches are suspected to have attributed to skyrocketing levels of E. coli. As heavy downpours wash into waterways, it is carrying with it feces the birds are leaving behind.
The Michigan Public Health Code calls for beach closures if E. coli bacteria levels surpass certain thresholds.
Routine testing detected unsafe swimming conditions, authorities said, but that doesn't mean other water activities are off-limits. Washtenaw County officials said "other forms of recreation that do not involve body contact with the water, like fishing, are permitted" at Independence Lake County Park.
Authorities said current beach closures listed on the site's Beach Guard website are effective immediately and will remain in effect until subsequent testing shows levels are safe for swimming.
E. coli bacteria is known to cause gastrointestinal illness among other health issues, like skin rashes and ear infections.
For more information about beach monitoring in Michigan, please visit michigan.gov/egle.
