The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says swimming advisory signs are up at seven state park beaches after testing showed high levels of bacteria in the water. Janice Boekhoff oversees the testing program.She says that’s more than we normally have at this time of year, and says they think it’s due to all the rainwater washing into the water. Dozens of cities have had to send wastewater into rivers and streams after being overwhelmed by rain this week. Boekhoff says though that’s probably not the reason for the high bacteria levels in the beachwater testing. She says most of the bypass that occurs from wastewater plants is mostly rainwater, with very little sewage in that water. She says the high bacteria levels are more likely caused by stuff that’s on the ground and washed into the water. She says the watersheds have many sources of runoff, from animal manure, to animal waster lagoons, to manure that’s spread on the ground. Boekhoff says dry sunny days would help. She says once the rain stops and we get several sunny days, they’ve found the bacteria levels usually go down. The beaches that’re post for high bacteria levels are: Geode in Henry County; Union Grove in Tama County; George Wyth in Black Hawk County; Lake Darling in Washington County; Rock Creek in Jasper County; Backbone in Delaware County and Beed’s Lake in Franklin County. Beaches at Emerson Bay in Dickinson County, Lake Keomah in Mahaska County and Red Haw in Lucas County all had high bacteria counts but will not post swimming advisories unless results are high again next week.
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