An advisory has been posted at the main beach, which will remain in effect until tests show that E. coli levels have dropped back down below acceptable limits.
Until the advisory is lifted, children, older people, people in ill health and people with weakened immune systems are advised not to swim in the water, Foos said.
The advisory was initially issued on June 9 after a test found 323 colony-forming units of E. Coli per 100 ml of water, above the Ohio Department of Health’s acceptable threshold of 235 cfu per 100 ml. Colony-forming units are an estimate of the number of viable bacteria in a sample.
Foos said that the ODNR monitors E. Coli counts at state park beaches starting before Memorial Day and continuing through Labor Day weekend. According to the Ohio Department of Health’s BeachGuard website, the reservoir at Buck Creek State Park is tested once every two weeks, unless high levels of bacteria are found.
“ODNR reminds our visitors to look for the signs to determine if a beach advisory has been posted or to check for advisories on Beach Guard,” Foos said. “If E. coli counts exceed set water quality standards, an advisory will be posted indicating that the level of bacteria has reached potentially unsafe levels and could potentially make you ill.”
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