The Iowa Environmental Council recently released their Weekly Water Watch report, providing insight into the condition of the State Beaches in Iowa. This week's report highlighted the impact of flooding on water quality, with eight state beaches placed under Advisories. Additionally, the report mentioned that seven county and city beaches were not included in the list but can be viewed on an interactive map. Notably, the Don Williams Recreational Area in Boone County was also featured on the map.
Beaches with E. coli Advisory:
- Backbone Beach (Dundee, Delaware County, IA)
- Beed's Lake Beach (Hampton, Franklin County, IA)
- Black Hawk Beach (Lake View, Sac County, IA)
- Lake of Three Fires Beach (Bedford, Taylor County, IA)
- Lower Pine Lake Beach (Eldora, Hardin County, IA)
- Union Grove Beach (Gladbrook, Tama County, IA)
Beaches with Microcystin Advisory:
- Lake Darling Beach (Brighton, Washington County, IA)
- McIntosh Woods Beach (Clear Lake, Ventura, Cerro Gordo County, IA)
The report also highlighted that seven city and county beaches exceeded the state's advisory threshold for E. coli. To locate these beaches, viewers are encouraged to visit the interactive map on the Iowa Environmental Council's website. It's important to note that due to flooding and high waters, several beaches were not tested, including Saylorville's Oak Grove Beach, Crandall's Beach, Marble Beach, Orleans City Beach, Triboji Beach, Pikes Point Beach, Gull Point Beach, and Emerson Bay Beach.
The Weekly Water Watch report is typically released digitally on Fridays, with data collected by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to provide valuable insights into water quality monitoring in the state.