Minneapolis Parks and Recreation on Tuesday announced it’s closed four beaches because of high levels of E. coli bacteria.
Two beaches on Bde Maka Ska — its North Beach and on 32nd Street — as well as beaches on the Lake Harriet’s north side and on Lake Hiawatha are closed.
Bacteria levels exceeded state-specified guidelines, the park board said in a news release, which cited as likely due to heavy rainfall washing E. coli into the lakes.
The board’s eight other beaches remain open, and water quality test results can be found online at bit.ly/MPRBlakes.
The parks board suggests that people avoid swimming at beaches for 48 hours after a heavy rainfall and to avoid water that looks like “‘pea soup’ or spilled paint floating on the surface,” the release says. It advises beachgoers to keep children and pets out of blue-green algae scum.
Other advice offered by the parks board:
- Don’t swim if you or your child have diarrhea or are sick
- Avoid getting lake water in your mouth
- Wash your hands before eating and after changing diapers
- Dry off right away after leaving the water to prevent swimmer’s itch
