Byline: Kathryn Prater / The Grand Rapids Press
OTTAWA COUNTY -- Despite several beach closures this summer, West Michigan's shorelines are among the cleanest in the state.
Ottawa County's Lake Michigan beaches ranked 10th out of all Michigan counties where bacteria levels were monitored last year, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council's annual beach water quality report, released Thursday. Berrien and Muskegon counties' beaches ranked first and second, respectively.
"I think it's pretty impressive that the top two counties that we're monitoring and didn't exceed standards were in West Michigan," said Cyndi Roper, Great Lakes policy director for Michigan's chapter of Clean Water Action, a national environmental group that works closely with the NRDC on water-related issues. "The folks in West Michigan have more beaches that were safer than beaches in the rest of the state."
Two of Ottawa County's nine Lake Michigan beaches -- Rosy Mound Recreation Area and Grand Haven State Park -- had bacteria levels exceeding state standards during the 2005 monitoring period, which Roper said spans from mid-May through Labor Day. High bacteria levels typically result in beach closures or advisories.
This year, however, four beaches -- Kirk, Kouw, Tunnel and Windsnest parks -- closed in June when water was found to contain too much E. coli.
John Scholtz, director of Ottawa County Parks and Recreation, said the bacteria problems are "a big concern of ours."
"Water quality is a huge issue, and people pay attention to water quality," he said.
The county is working with Michigan State University to investigate the causes of heightened bacteria counts, Scholtz said.
The number of beach closures has increased since Scholtz began working for the department 19 years ago, he said, when "there was rarely a closure."
"It's just been a little more frequent in recent years," he said. "I don't look at it as a huge problem, but it could be in the future if we don't take steps to figure out what the problems are and fix those problems."
Statewide, beach closures and advisories were down 8 percent, the NRDC report said. That's better than the nationwide number, which was 5 percent higher for ocean, bay and Great Lakes beaches.
Roper, of Clean Water Action, applauded the city of Grand Rapids for the attention it has paid to sewage overflow.
"The city of Grand Rapids has really dug in and has been one of the only cities in the state that has really stepped up to the plate to stop the sewage that's overflowing and getting into the Grand River and Lake Michigan," she said.
Gale Document Number:CJ149156494