Following the tremendous storms that swept through the area at the end of May, one of the many casualties has been a beach at Lake Wappapello State Park.
Within a couple days of the storm, water testing determined unsafe elevated levels of E. coli in the water. In response to the test results, officials with the State Park Office decided to close the area to swimming at the public beach in Williamsville.
According to Patricia Stafford, who works as the environmental specialist for the State Parks Office, the water levels are tested on a weekly basis to check for contaminants.
“Typically what happens, when we have a lot of rain like we got with the storms, the water will rise,” Stafford explained. “And when that happens, there is often runoff from farm fields that are nearby, and different chemicals or increased levels of bacteria get into the water.”
Stafford explained that other things can account for the elevated levels, such as an increase in the goose population.
“But I’m unaware as to whether or not there are geese living in that area,” Stafford remarked.
Stafford went on to explain it’s generally a good practice to bathe after swimming in a public lake.
“I would just encourage people to get into the habit of showering as soon as they can after they swim,” Stafford noted. “And if you’re going to eat before you shower, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly before you eat.”
Stafford explained that the water is tested at the beginning of every week in order to receive the test results in a timely fashion and alert the public.
“We want everyone to be able to enjoy the lake and the beach,” Stafford remarked. “But we also want everyone to be safe. Our biggest concern is public health and safety.”
Stafford said people can log on to the Missouri state parks web page and check which locations are listed as being open and which areas are closed.
The webpage is mostateparks.com/park/lake-wappapello-state-park.
“We’re hopeful that soon everything will be back to normal,” Stafford said. “But we can’t predict the weather. So, we’ll just continue to monitor everything and keep people informed.”