Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Media Contact: Anne Perry Moore (218) 723-2356 Technical Contact: Heidi Bauman (218) 723-4953 All MPCA staff, toll-free (voice and TTY): (800) 657-3864 Duluth, Minn. -- Due to higher-than-normal bacteria levels, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's (MPCA) Beach Program coordinator placed the first sign of the swimming season advising against water contact at the Southworth Marsh public beach today. The advisory will remain in effect until at least tomorrow. "Though our beach water quality monitoring season began May 2, Monday's water quality sample from Park Point's Southworth Marsh public beach was the first to indicate high levels of E. coli bacteria," said Heidi Bauman, MPCA Beach Program Coordinator. "Despite cold lake and bay water temperatures, we need to let people know right away that swimming or water contact is not recommended at that site." If anyone becomes ill after contact with the Southworth Marsh's water, they should contact the St. Louis County Health Department office at (218) 725-5200. Bauman reported seeing a number of ducks and geese while monitoring at the site. The potential for those animals' droppings, combined with recent rain that can agitate beach water sediments, may contribute to higher levels of illness-causing bacteria. Other bacterial sources, such as dog and wildlife feces, dirty diapers, failing septic systems and sewer line breaks and overflows are often mentioned as possible beach water contaminants. "Though the bacteria's origins cannot be determined due to funding and program restrictions," Bauman said, "rain seems to be a common factor among the beach advisories we've posted during the past three years." More rain is predicted and Bauman cautioned people to stay out of the water for the next few days. Staff from the MPCA's federally-funded beach water monitoring program, now in its third year, began testing beach water at a limited number of public access points in early May. Staff began water testing at all 39 public access sites along Lake Superior's Minnesota shoreline last Monday. In addition to regularly sampling popular swimming and water recreation sites, program staff strive to educate and protect beach-goers and swimmers from possible health risks related to unintentional bacteria exposure. Placing signs warning against water contact is the unfortunate result when certain bacteria levels rise too high. "People now know to avoid water contact when they see these signs," Bauman added. "Most people assume Lake Superior's water temperature is too cold to support this type of bacteria. Obviously, it does, and that's why we're monitoring on a regular basis." "It's also important for people to understand that most of the program's posted advisories are at only three sites on Park Point's bay side," Bauman stresses. "Southworth Marsh, 20th Street / Hearding Island and New Duluth Boat Club / 14th Street were posted most of last summer due to conditions we describe as dark, shallow water, limited wave action and high concentrations of geese. We certainly don't want to give the impression that Lake Superior overall is affected. It's not, and we encourage people to enjoy recreating safely in it." During last season's six months of water quality testing, 26 "no contact" advisories were posted at 17 of the program's 38 sites and caused 113 concurrent days of lost recreation. Beach program staff posted last year's first beach water advisory sign May 18 at Burlington Bay in Two Harbors; six of Lake County's 10 monitored sites had advisories posted for 11 days during the summer. Six of Duluth's 18 locations were posted for 113 days. Two of Cook County's nine monitored sites had advisories posted for a total of three days. Twenty-one of the monitored swimming beach areas were unaffected by illness-causing bacteria last year. No related illnesses were reported to county health departments. Currently, Minnesota does not require beach testing. As a result, water sampling and announcements of unsafe swimming conditions are inconsistently issued. The federal Beach Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act, an amendment to the Clean Water Act, calls on Minnesota and other states with coastal waters to monitor water quality at public beaches and improve how they notify the public about health risks at beaches. For more information about the beach program, call Heidi Bauman, MPCA Beach Program Coordinator, at (218) 723-4953, (800) 657-3864 or visit the related Web page at http://www.mnbeaches.org. The Web site also provides an opportunity to receive free advisory alert e-mails, maps of the monitoring sites, lists recent water monitoring results at all 39 beach locations, and a recently-released report of last year's program and monitoring accomplishments. People may call the program's hotline at (218) 725-7724 for the latest beach advisory information.