DANVILLE - The once busy beach at Geode State Park has been much less crowded over the past three years, and park manager Ulf Konig believes the reason can be traced directly to the beach bacteria monitoring data.
Konig said the weekly water quality tests have showed an improvement over the last three years, and, so far in 2005, Geode has not had any high readings for bacteria. But the beach goers have not returned.
"People are under the impression that the lake is dangerous because of the beach monitoring results, which is simply not the case," Konig said. "It seems like bad news makes the news, but when we have good news to report, or good test results, it doesn't get reported."
The DNR has been collecting water samples from state park beaches since 2000. The major contributor to most areas that have a high reading is rain and runoff. After a rain storm bacteria levels can increase dramatically, but with exposure to sunlight, can drop just as quickly. The beach at Geode State Park is on the north end of the lake, near a major tributary stream. Konig said beach samples are collected each Monday morning and if there is a rain over the weekend in the watershed, he expects high bacteria readings on Friday.
"People may have the impression that the problem is just here, but there is bacteria in every lake in Iowa," he said. "Geode has good water clarity and the water quality is fairly good, in relation to other Iowa lakes."
"Thousands of Iowans enjoy the water at our lakes throughout the year. The risk to them of a waterborne illness is extremely low," said Tom Newton, director of the Division of Environmental Health at the Iowa Department of Public Health. State health officials say those involved in water activities can reduce their risk even further by not ingesting lake water.
He said anyone using the lake - anglers, beach goers, boaters - should practice good hygiene. "If you swam in the lake, or any lake for that matter, take a shower. Wash your hands with soap if you have been fishing. Just use common sense," Konig said.
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