The Brief
- Five King County swim beaches are closed due to high bacteria levels as hot weather draws crowds to local lakes and beaches.
- Officials say goose droppings are the primary cause of the elevated bacteria that can lead to stomach illness and skin irritation.
- Health officials urge swimmers to check beach conditions online before visiting and to avoid feeding geese near shorelines.
RENTON, Wash. – As temperatures climb into the mid-80s and 90s across western Washington, crowds are flocking to lakes and beaches for relief. However, five King County swim beaches are currently closed due to high bacteria levels.
One of the closures is Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park in Renton. Despite warning signs, some beachgoers are ignoring the orders and entering the water.
What is Causing the Closures?
Testing shows the elevated bacteria levels are directly linked to goose poop. King County tests the water weekly during the summer. While they test for a general indicator bacteria found in all warm-blooded animals, historical winter testing points squarely at local wildlife.
Ecologist Daniel Nitskorski explained the results saying, “What we found is that it’s very rare that we can detect poop from people or from dogs, and it’s very, very common to find moderate to high levels of poop from geese when a beach is closed… we’re really confident that goose poop is by far the main cause of closures when a swimming beach gets closed due to poop in the water.”
Health Risks: What Happens If You Swim?
Public health officials recommend closing a beach when the data suggests roughly 3% to 5% of swimmers could get sick. While the risks are rarely severe or life-threatening, ignoring the signs can ruin your summer week.…