The public is advised to avoid all contact with the water until further notice
Today the Kitsap Public Health District temporarily closed the swimming
beach at Island Lake County Park due to high
levels of E. coli bacteria in the water. The Health District will continue to monitor the beach and re-open it when E.coli levels return to a level considered safe for human contact.
Since
there is an increased risk of getting sick, the public is advised to avoid all
contact with the water in those swimming areas until further notice. This means no swimming, wading, or
types of water play where water could be swallowed or get in the mouth, nose or
eyes. The risk of illness is greatest for young children, the elderly, or
anyone with a compromised immune system.
The Island Lake County Park swimming beach was previously closed July 11 for elevated E.coli levels, and re-opened on July 13. The current advisory does NOT include the swimming beach at Island Lake Crista Camp. There is still an unrelatedcyanobacteria warningin place for both Kitsap Lake and Long Lake.
No illnesses have been reported to Kitsap Public Health at this time.
SWIMMING BEACH MONITORING:
During the summer months, the Kitsap Public Health District monitors 34 fresh and salt water swimming areas for bacteria levels and sources, safety concerns, and toxic cyanobacteria (commonly known as toxic blue-green algae). If people or pets become sick after being in the water, or if you see an algae bloom or large numbers of dead fish, please report it online or by calling 360-728-2235 so Kitsap Public Health can investigate and take action, if necessary.
High levels of E.coli bacteria can be caused by wildlife
and pets in the water, people swimming when they are sick with diarrhea, a large number of
swimmers, infants swimming without swim diapers, and/or and people entering the
water without showering.
The closure level for Ecoli is a geometric mean value (GMV) of 126 MPN/100 mL. For samples taken July 18 at
the Island Lake County Park swimming beach, the GMV was 395.2 MPN/100
mL.
MPN/100mL
is a unit of measure and stands for the "most probable number" of bacteria
colonies that grow in a 100mL sample.
