The Health Department of Northwest Michigan (HDNW) is issuing a partial body beach advisory for Richardi Park in the Village of Bellaire, Antrim County. HDNW is lifting the full body beach advisory for Little Traverse Township Beach, in Emmet County.

Richardi Park
The water sample taken Wednesday showed an E. coli level of 435.2 per 100 milliliters (ml), which requires limited water use based on Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) water quality standards. The advisory is posted at the beach. The beach is located at E. Antrim St. in Bellaire.

E. coli levels testing between 301 and 1,000 per 100 ml qualify for partial body contact advisories, based on EGLE standards. With a partial body contact advisory, wading, paddling, and fishing are considered safe. The beach will be resampled today, July 25 and results will be shared with the public Friday, July 26.

Little Traverse Township Beach
The follow-up water sample taken Wednesday showed an E. coli level of 75.9 per 100 milliliters (ml) which is considered safe based on Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) water quality standards. The advisory posting at the beach has been removed. The beach is located at US-31 and West Conway Road in Little Traverse Township.

Water sampling is done by HDNW throughout the summer months to monitor E. coli levels at many public beaches. The levels change frequently, impacted by the presence of fowl, waves, and more. When a sample comes back that creates an advisory of any type, the water at that beach is sampled again and the results shared to keep the public updated.

HDNW posts beach monitoring reports weekly on its website at https://nwhealth.org/beach-monitoring-program/. Through an EGLE supported web-based program, the public has real-time access to beach water quality results for beaches all over Michigan. Information can be found at www.deq.state.mi.us/beach/.