NORTH MUSKEGON, Mich. — Issues with E. coli bacteria at a Muskegon County beach entered their second week Monday.
The discovery of contamination, present along the shoreline at Waterfront Sports Park in North Muskegon, prompted officials to issue an advisory last week.
Researchers described the advisory’s days-long duration as a somewhat rare occurrence for the West side of the state, though relatively more common along the Lake Huron shoreline.
The waves and the wind currents, researchers at Grand Valley State University’s Muskegon-based Annis Water Resources Institute noted, pull contaminants away from the shore, often precluding extended advisory periods or closures.
Fecal matter from waterfowl was cited by public health experts as the likely cause.
Given the ever-changing nature of the environment in question, a wind-swept beach, researchers indicated they would collect daily samples until contaminant levels subsided below the state’s pre-established advisory threshold.
“That is what we just got back to doing today and we are processing the sample,” Alexis Porter, adjunct research assistant with the Institute in Muskegon explained. Porter also holds a master’s degree in public health. “That allows us to hopefully remove the advisory and just keep an idea and a pulse on the water to make sure it's not getting worse.”
If the level of contamination does worsen – though researchers gave no indication it had– it may signal the need for mitigation efforts or a full closure of the affected area.
“Typically, if E.coli’s in the water body, that can also be indicative of other fecal bacteria,” Porter related. “That can lead to other potential diseases that aren't caused by E.coli. So typically, if you're finding it at all, that could be a route of exposure from other methods, which could be concerning.”
Fecal matter from livestock or human beings, for instance, could suggest other issues.
Researchers were engaged in the testing of samples Monday, utilizing several different methods to determine the content of the water off North Muskegon, using both cultures and molecular examination to indicate whether the bacteria present was, in fact, a live, active specimen, had been present for some time and to identify the source.
The results of Monday’s test were expected by 8:00 Tuesday morning.
For the current status of Waterfront Sports Park, or other Michigan beaches and waterways, click here.
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