Strawberry Point residents concerned over closing of Backbone beach

The closing of a popular beach in northeast Iowa has residents in the area worried about the impact on their town’s economy. Strawberry Point residents met with state officials last night to discuss the closing of the beach at Backbone state park.The Iowa D-N-R held a public hearing to talk about the high level of e-coli bacteria discovered in the lake at Backbone. The bacteria was measured at seven times the limit allowed by the E-P-A. The Strawberry Point water treatment plant has come under scrutiny recently after it was revealed the plant had released wastewater into a nearby creek. D-N-R officials say they don’t believe the wastewater is the source of the problem. They’re continuing to try and find the source. The beach will stay closed until the bacteria levels drop.