Health department issues partial contact advisory at Little Traverse Township Park
CONWAY — The Health Department of Northwest Michigan has issued a partial body contact advisory for Little Traverse Township Park along Crooked Lake off U.S. 31 in Conway.
A water sample collected Wednesday showed an E. coli level of 387.3 per 100 milliliters (ml), which calls for restricted use based on Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) water quality standards. The advisory is posted at the beach.
Levels testing between 301 and 1,000 per 100 ml qualify for partial body contact advisories, based on EGLE standards. Levels below 300 per 100 ml allow for full body contact. The level at Little Traverse Township Park advises no water contact above the waist. Wading, paddling, and fishing are considered safe.
Water sampling is done throughout the summer months to monitor E. coli levels at many public beaches. The levels change frequently, impacted by the presence of fowl, waves, and more. When a sample comes back that creates an advisory of any type, the water at that beach is sampled again the next day to keep the public updated.
The health department posts beach monitoring reports weekly on its website at nwhealth.org/beach.html. Through an EGLE supported web-based program, the public has real-time access to beach water quality results for beaches all over Michigan. Information can be found at deq.state.mi.us/beach/.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Health department issues partial contact advisory at Little Traverse Township Park
