(Des Moines, Iowa) – Officials with the Iowa Environmental Council (Citing the weekly Iowa Department of Natural Resources data), today (Friday), report a total of 14 beaches in Iowa are under advisories for excessive E. Coli levels. Advisories are issued when bacteria standards for safe swimming are exceeded.

All State monitored beaches are posted with Information Signs on indicator bacteria and blue-green algae toxins that provide general information regarding ways to reduce the potential health risk associated with swimming at public beaches. These signs will also inform the public of current monitoring efforts and ways to obtain the data. Water samples from the beaches are analyzed for microorganisms, known as bacteria and cyanobacteria toxins. These indicator bacteria are one-celled organisms visible only under a microscope.

High levels of these bacteria indicate that the water has come into contact with fecal material.

13 Beaches with an E. coli Advisory:
Backbone Beach (Dundee, Delaware County, IA)* 
Beed’s Lake Beach (Hampton, Franklin County, IA)*
Big Creek Beach (Polk City, Polk County, IA)* 
Clear Lake Beach (Clear Lake, Cerro Gordo County, IA)*
Lake Ahquabi Beach (Indianola, Warren County, IA)* 
Lake Darling Beach (Brighton, Washington County, IA)*
Lake of Three Fires Beach (Bedford, Taylor County, IA)* 
Lower Pine Lake Beach (Eldora, Hardin County, IA)*
Nine Eagles Beach (Davis City, Decatur County, IA)*
North Overlook Beach (Lake Red Rock, Pella, Marion County, IA)**
Pleasant Creek Lake Beach (Palo, Linn County, IA)*  
Sugar Bottom Campground Beach (Coralville Lake, Coralville, Johnson County, IA)**
Union Grove Beach (Gladbrook, Tama County, IA)*

1 Beach with a Microcystin Advisory:
Lake Darling Beach (Brighton, Washington County, IA)* 

4 City and County Beaches exceed the state’s advisory threshold for E. coli.*