Belle Isle Beach back open after high levels of E. coli
(CBS DETROIT) - Belle Isle Beach reopened for swimming Monday afternoon after being closed due to high levels of E. coli.
Due to the high bacteria levels, the beach was closed on Thursday, June 1, and was closed throughout the weekend. Michigan Department of Natural Resources officials announced that swimming access was closed due to the E. coli, but visitors could use the sand.
On Saturday, officials posted on Facebook and said the beach would be closed until at least Monday, as they had yet to receive the results from the samples taken from the beach's water.
Then, on Monday afternoon, they announced the beach was reopened and said, "Water quality results are back and Belle Isle Beach is reopen for swimming!"
DNR urban district supervisor Tom Bissett told CBS News Detroit that samples are taken every Monday, sends them into the lab, and then the city receives the results and notifies DNR officials if the water is within compliance.
Bissett said the sampling season just began, and it is not common for this to happen.
"Belle Isle has closed for no more than a week or two in 2017 and then again once in 2021, so it's not common that this happens, and our sampling season began just before Memorial Day this year," said DNR urban district supervisor Tom Bissett.
In addition, while the DNR says it is not illegal for visitors to get in the water during these closures, it is against their recommendations.
Michiganders can check if a beach is open on the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy's Michigan BeachGuard System, which shares information about beach water sampling results, closures, and advisories.