Iowa DNR: 8 State Beaches Now Not Recommended for Swimming

I love hiking through Iowa’s state parks and forests, especially in the warmer months with my kids when everything is alive and green. There’s something to be said about being able to head for the water after a long hike that just feels like summer should, too. My family has done that for years, and I still think back to how often we would swim at Central Park in Jones County. It was simple, familiar, and affordable (free); one of those places you just showed up, checked the weather, and splashed in. However, sometimes swimming there wasn't recommended.

Get our free mobile app

Water quality can change quickly, and not always in ways you can see. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has now flagged eight state beaches as not recommended for swimming, based on recent water quality testing. The advisory isn’t just about one issue either. Bans are often tied to elevated E. coli levels; however, harmful algal toxins have also been found in some waterbodies.

Credit: Tom Drake | Backbone Beach at Backbone State Park

The beaches currently under advisory include: Pleasant Creek Beach, Backbone Beach, Lake Darling Beach, Black Hawk Beach, Clear Lake State Park Beach, Crandalls Beach, Emerson Bay Beach, and North Twin Lake West Beach.

Credit: Iowa DNR Beach Monitoring

In several of these locations, water testing has shown E. coli levels high enough to trigger safety warnings. At others, the concern extends to microcystin, a toxin produced by blue-green algae that can form during warmer weather and nutrient-rich conditions.

I don't know much about the dangers of the toxic algae; however, I know firsthand how serious an E. coli infection can be. My daughter was hospitalized after a recent case. It was a painful experience for her and a scary one for my wife and I. It makes the thought of the intentional risk of infection by swimming feel very real in a way stats never do. It’s not something to brush off either. It can become severe quickly, especially for children and vulnerable individuals, and is extremely infectious. Additionally, the state tracks any and all cases of E. coli, should you become infected.

That’s why advisories like this matter. To put it bluntly, the Iowa DNR isn’t closing these beaches, but they are strongly discouraging swimming until water conditions improve. For now, many of these places are still perfect for hiking, camping, boating, or just sitting by the shore, but the water itself deserves a little extra caution this season.