Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat News
The Newsletter of the Great Lakes
Aquatic Habitat Network and Fund
Volume 9, Number 3 • May-June 2001
Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat NewsThe Newsletter of the Great Lakes
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by Joel Brammeier, Habitat Coordinator, Lake Michigan Federation
Swimming in Chicago Gets Off to a Rocky Start
The kickoff of the swimming season in Illinois met an unfortunate obstacle in 2001 with the closure of one of the City of Chicago’s most popular beaches. 63rd Street Beach closed almost immediately upon opening for the season on Memorial Day weekend. The closing is attributed to the usual suspect - high levels of E. coli bacteria likely stirred up from the lake bottom by recent storm events. The beach has a long history of high bacteria counts leading to extended closings over the last several years.
The City of Chicago has pledged to implement the most effective beach monitoring techniques available and will be field-testing several new technologies this summer. Current E. coli tests require 24 hours to culture bacteria samples before determination of whether the count will put swimmers at risk. This means there is clear potential for contaminated beaches to remain open for swimming while test results are being assessed. Results from faster tests that rely on genetic methods will be compared with those from conventional testing by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this fall to determine if they can be approved for nationwide beach monitoring. The city will also be comparing results from predictive statistical models developed by the United States Geological Survey to actual bacteria counts in a step toward implementing a “beach forecasting” program.
The Lake Michigan Federation is looking forward to continuing its efforts to ensure that progressive beach monitoring technologies are effectively implemented at all bathing beaches around Lake Michigan. However, there has been a noticeable lack of focus on problem prevention as well as public education around the Great Lakes. It is essential that agencies provide resources for source determination and elimination in addition to simply monitoring public beaches. Coupled with an outreach program that empowers citizens to understand the causes and effects of contaminated beaches, the Federation will work toward making beach closings a relic of the past instead of a fact of life.
Federation to Work with U.S. EPA to Implement Midwest Water Quality Standards
The Federation is convening a meeting in June between U.S. EPA Region 5 Acting Administrator David Ullrich and representatives from several Great Lakes environmental groups. The intent of the meeting is to proactively develop ways in which new water standards for toxic pollutants can be applied to better protect wildlife. These standards, which set criteria for regulation of 29 water pollutants, were agreed upon by U.S. EPA and the Great Lakes states in 1995. The standards are unique to the Great Lakes and are intended to restore, maintain, and protect the waters of this valuable and sensitive ecosystem. Contact Laurel O’Sullivan (losullivan@lakemichigan.org) at the Federation for more information.