THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES WILL KEEP THE SWIMMING BEACH AT WATKINS WOOLEN MILL STATE PARK NEAR LAWSON CLOSED THIS WEEKEND DUE TO E. COLI LEVELS ABOVE THE STANDARDS SET BY THE DEPARTMENT.
WATER SAMPLES DRAWN MONDAY FROM THE BEACH AT WATKINS WOOLEN MILL STATE PARK, WHEN COMBINED WITH SAMPLE RESULTS FROM THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER, FAILED TO MEET THE DEPARTMENT STANDARD FOR E. COLI.
THE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYS TWO STANDARDS RELATED TO E. COLI IN DETERMINING WHETHER TO CLOSE STATE PARK BEACHES.
ONE OF THOSE, KNOWN AS A GEOMETRIC MEAN, IS A FORMULA THAT INCLUDES THE RESULTS FROM ALL OF THE SAMPLES TAKEN AT A SPECIFIC SITE DURING THE RECREATIONAL SWIMMING SEASON.
THE DEPARTMENT WILL CLOSE ANY STATE PARK BEACH WITH A GEOMETRIC MEAN FOR E. COLI OF 126 COLONIES PER 100 MILLILITERS OF WATER OR ABOVE.
THE RESULTS OF MONDAY’S SAMPLES FROM WATKINS MILL BEACH WERE 18.3 AND 22.6 E. COLI COLONIES PER 100 MILLILITERS OF WATER, WHICH, WHEN COMBINED WITH EARLIER RESULTS, BROUGHT THE GEOMETRIC MEAN FOR THE BEACH TO 193.5 COLONIES PER 100 MILLILITERS.
WATKINS MILL BEACH WILL REMAIN POSTED WITH SIGNS NOTIFYING VISITORS OF THE CLOSURE AND WILL REMAIN CLOSED UNTIL BOTH SINGLE SAMPLE LEVELS AND THE GEOMETRIC MEAN FOR E. COLI FALL BELOW THE DEPARTMENT STANDARDS.
NO OTHER STATE PARK BEACHES TESTED HIGH FOR E. COLI LEVELS; HOWEVER, BACTERIAL LEVELS OFTEN RISE AFTER HEAVY RAINS AND LAKE USERS SHOULD USE THEIR JUDGMENT WHEN SWIMMING AFTER HEAVY RAINS.
