10 out of 12 beaches at Beaver Lake still remain closed due to high levels of E. coli

Christina Randall
·2 min read

ROGERS Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — 10 out of 12 beaches at Beaver Lake are still closed due to E. coli contamination.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers closed the beaches last week and have posted signs indicating high levels of bacteria at the swim beaches.

Jay Townsend is the spokesperson for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He says lakes all over the region deal with unclean water.

“It’s not specific to Beaver Lake. I mean swim beaches close at Table Rock Lake, Bull Shoals, some of the lakes out west in Oklahoma. It’s not E. coli they battle but blue algae,” said Townsend.

War Eagle is just one of the 10 beaches closed. Townsend says it’s important that you pay attention to the signs posted, otherwise, you’ll be taking a big risk.

Benton County considers sales tax increase to address jail overcrowding issue

If you avoid these signs that are out there that say the swim beaches are closed and you get into that water and you get some of that in your system, you’re going to be sick all Memorial Day weekend. And that’s not what you want,” said Townsend.

The World Health Organization says symptoms caused by E. coli kills thousands each year. Symptoms include diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, and fever. Townsend says shallow water is more likely to have a higher level of E. coli.

“We want to find the perfect balance between shallow and deep. But my kids, if they’re out there at one of these swim beaches, they’re only two feet of water. So I got to make sure that I’m getting some clean samples from some of those areas as well,” said Townsend.

For the beaches to reopen, the water samples must show an acceptable level of E. coli.

“We have to have two tests come back with acceptable levels,” said Townsend.

Townsend says the goal is to open as many of the swim beaches as possible before the Memorial Day weekend.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KNWA FOX24.