Find out which Iowa beaches are unsafe for July 4 swimming

Many Iowans celebrate July Fourth at one of several state beaches, but if you plan to join them, you might want to first check the quality of the water.

Nearly 72 percent of the state beaches passed the most recent test, but some of the most popular summertime destinations — in the Great Lakes of Iowa in Northwestern Iowa’s Dickinson County — were not tested last week because of flooding.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources collects water samples each week at state park beaches and tests for E. coli bacteria and toxins from harmful algae, which can harm swimmers. Last week's tests, conducted June 25 and 26, showed that 23 of the 32 state beaches tested were within safe swimming levels. This includes beaches at Pleasant Creek, near Palo, and at Lake Macbride, near Solon.

However, eight of the 41 state beaches were not tested last week because of flooding. Another, Lake Keomah Beach near Oskaloosa, is closed this summer for renovations

Iowa DNR staff collect samples from ankle-, knee- and waist-depths in the water at various beach spots. These samples are then sent to the State Hygienic Laboratory, which detects the levels of bacteria and toxins in the water. The Iowa DNR posts advisories each Friday advising against swimming when levels exceed state standards.

"It's as close to a snapshot of how safe Iowa beaches are without having real-time data," said Noah Poppelreiter, supervisor of the Iowa DNR's water monitoring staff.

At nine state park beaches, swimming is not advised this week because of high E. coli or algal toxins. These are:

Triboji Beach in Spirit Lake, part of the Okoboji area that sees thousands of tourists every summer, was not sampled in the latest series. Other beaches not sampled were:

Poppelreiter said there isn't a time frame for when the Iowa DNR will be able to collect samples at these eight beaches, but staff will return once flooding subsides.

"It will be a case-by-case basis for each beach to decide when it's safe to sample again," he said.

The state also can recommend that a beach not be used for swimming if harmful algal blooms are noticeable. Harmful algal blooms occur when algae that are usually present in water grow excessively due to runoff from agricultural fields, urban areas and wastewater discharges, which causes excess nitrogen and phosphorus in the water.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, accidentally ingesting contaminated water can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches and other symptoms. While the Iowa DNR posts these recommendations, it does not mean citizens are prevented from swimming at the beach.

Alicia Vasto, water program manager for the Iowa Environmental Council, said a beach with high values of E. coli is a good indicator that fecal contamination is present there.

"There could be other pathogens in the water that people might be a little bit more concerned about than just E. coli itself," Vasto said.

She said the harmful algal blooms typically emit toxins for a couple of weeks, but said some Iowa beaches have suffered with blooms that have lingered longer than expected.

"Last summer, Brushy Creek Beach (near Lehigh) had an algae bloom emitting microcystin for almost the entire summer," she said. "The length of the bloom depends on the water, how many inputs there are, and the natural cycles throughout the summer season."

Vasto said it's important to check water quality adversaries before going in for a swim.

"If you're ever suspicious of the water, don't go in," she said. "It's much better to take a cautionary approach and stay safe."

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