Testing will continue until water quality improves
Officials with the Western Racine County Health Department on Tuesday closed Leach Beach on Bohners Lake and issued an advisory for a second beach on the lake due to high bacteria levels in the water.
The closure of Leach Beach on the lake’s west shore means bacteria counts indicate the water is unsafe for swimming, according to a press release issued by the health department Tuesday.
The beach will remain closed until water samples collected daily indicate the water is again safe.
The water adjacent to the Bohners Lake Public Beach was posted as “poor” Tuesday, meaning bacteria counts are high enough to cause illness. People considering using the Public Beach, on the lake’s north side, are cautioned to avoid ingesting the water and to bathe after swimming, according to health department officials.
Water quality at Aukes Beach, on the southeast corner of the lake, was listed as “good” on Tuesday.
This is the second time this summer the Health Department has had to close a beach on Bohners Lake. Officials closed the Public Beach on June 24 and issued a “poor” water quality advisory for Leach Beach. The Public Beach was reopened a day later when the water quality was upgraded to “poor.”
Check back here are visit the health department’s website at www.wrchd.org for updates on the beaches. For additional information, call the health department at (262) 763-4930.
The department monitors water quality at three beaches on Bohners Lake and the Fischer Park beaches on Browns Lake from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Results of tests at Fischer Park were pending on Tuesday, according to the health department website.
In the past, health department officials have blamed the combination of feces left by waterfowl and rain, which washes the bacteria into the lake, as the most likely culprits behind the high levels.
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