[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...ArticleID=23551

The Issue:

New beach grooming techniques may reduce E. coli.

Our Opinion:

All ways to cut bacteria in lake water must be studied, including the costly replacement of septic systems upstream.
Beach bacteria
Sand may be major source

Editorial

For years researchers looked at the water of Lake Michigan to find the source of high bacteria readings, but one source of outbreaks of E. coli may be in the beach sand. Bacteria counts tend to be much higher after storms send waves splashing ashore, with water returning to the lake through the sand.

If the sand is aerated and allowed to dry in the hot sun, the bacteria die or diminish.

The Michigan City Parks Department is testing that theory with a new method of beach grooming that puts little furrows into the sand instead of leveling it. That method of beach sand grooming in Racine, Wis., resulted in a 96 percent decline in the number of beach advisories for bacteria.

While the new way of using a beach sanitizer seems to hold promise, other ways of controlling bacteria will continue to be studied as city officials try to find ways to keep E. coli in the Lake Michigan waters along Washington Park beach from rising to the point where swimming is discouraged.

After all, Michigan City has one of the finest beaches anywhere, and it is a great natural resource and tourist draw.

And while feeding the seagulls and geese - now banned by city ordinance - may slightly increase their droppings around the lakefront, a certain amount of that excrement will simply continue to be a part of the lake's natural environment, presumably be diluted in the vastness of the water and shore.

Michigan City has been fortunate to have sewage treatment facilities that rarely have had to discharge untreated effluent because of storm runoff entering the plant.

As a letter writer points out today, however, household septic systems upstream in the town of Trail Creek may contribute considerably to bacteria entering Lake Michigan, and that's a costly issue certainly needs to be studied, too.

[lbl]

Check this out! Beach closings due to bacteria...I tried to reformat it, but to no avail...there should be columns headed by the years and dates...kinda tough to read, but muy interesante
2008 2007 2006
(5-23-08 thru 7-30-08) (5-23-07 thru 7-31-07) (5-25-06 thru 7-31-06)
Washington Park 6 15 8
Stop 2 4 7 5
Stop 7 2 3 5
Stop 20 1 1 3
Stop 24 0 1 1
Stop 31 1 0 2
Stop 34 2 0 3
Stop 37 2 4 2
LaPorte Lakes
Stone Lake 0 1 0
Old Stone Lake Beach 0 1 0
Stone Lake Launch 2 0 0
Holton Rd. - Pine Lk. 2 2 0
Kiwanis - Pine Lk 1 3 1
Waverly - Pine Lk 0 1 1
Hudson Lake 1 2 0
Lower Fish Lake 7 4 5
Upper Fish Lake 6 8 2