The state Health Department says this summer has brought a typical number of e-coli advisories at beaches along Minnesota’s North Shore. The contamination comes from geese, deer, leaky septic systems, pets and swimmers — or is washed into the lake during storms. Monitoring program coordinator Cindy Hakala recommends North Shore vacationers check mnbeaches.org before taking a dip. “Really encourage people to go there to find information about how to keep the beach safe [and] how to keep themselves safe while they’re at the beach,” Hakala says. There’s also a hotline to report suspected water-borne illness at 877-366-3455, or you can fill out a report on line.
“Some of the areas where we see more advisories are areas where there’s a higher urban concentration,” Hakala says. “So we see more advisories in Duluth than we do, say, in Two Harbors or in Grand Marais.”
The U-S Environmental Protection Agency is awarding the Minnesota Department of Health just over 200 thousand dollars to continue the beach monitoring program.