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JEFFERSON CITY, MO. -- The following is a news release from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources;

The Department of Natural Resources will keep the swimming beach at Watkins Woolen Mill State Park northeast of Kansas City closed this weekend due to E. coli levels above the standards set by the department.

Water samples drawn Monday from the beach at Watkins Woolen Mill State Park showed E. coli levels in excess of the department’s single-sample standard for state park beaches. The park’s water sample had 410.6 E. coli colonies per 100 milliliters of water.  

Mark Twain State Park Beach, which has been closed all season due to high water, also had samples that tested in excess of the department standard.  Monday’s high sample from Mark Twain State Park Beach had 1,553.1 E. coli colonies per 100 milliliters of water.

Both beaches have been posted with signs notifying visitors of the closures and will remain closed until E. coli levels fall below the department standard.

In order to provide a safer beach experience, the Department of Natural Resources will close beaches at state parks if a single sample is above 235 E. coli colonies per 100 milliliters of water, which is also the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s single-sample guideline for a swimming beach.

No other state park beaches tested high for E. coli levels; however, bacterial levels often rise after heavy rains and lake users should use their judgment when swimming after heavy rains.

The latest information on beach closings at state parks is available online at http://mostateparks.com/beaches/index.asp. Additional beaches may be closed for other reasons, such as high water levels or safety and management issues. Information about all temporary closings at state parks is available online at http://mostateparks.com/closings.htm.

The 1,500-acre Watkins Woolen Mill State Park is located near Lawson, northeast of Kearney, in Clay County.  The 2,775-acre Mark Twain State Park is located in Monroe County in northeast Missouri along the 18,000-acre Mark Twain Lake.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources, through its Division of State Parks, manages 85 state parks and historic sites throughout the state, including 15 with swimming beaches. Water samples are taken weekly during the recreational swimming season to help ensure a safe public swimming area.

E. coli is a bacteria found in the intestinal tract of warm-blooded animals, including humans.  While most strains of E. coli are harmless, some strains can cause gastrointestinal illness. 

These bacteria and other pathogens can reach lake water from many different sources, both human and animal.  For some people, such as children, elderly or those with weakened immune systems, even low levels of these bacteria may cause illness.