(WXYZ) — It didn’t take much time for the MDEQ to announce a beach closure during the 2019 swim season. This time the closure comes as we head into Memorial Day weekend.
E.coli levels are too high for the Macomb County Health Department to allow swimming in Saint Clare Shores at Memorial Park Beach — those who once enjoyed swimming there are likely used to it by now.
Last season 7 Action News reported that the beach had been open a mere 26 days between June, July and August — the latest closure is a reminder that issues remain.
In the past two key factors have been blamed for the spike in beach closures: an influx of Canada geese in the area, which in turn are adding a hefty amount of geese poop to the water; and partially treated sewage flowing from Oakland and Macomb counties into Lake St. Clair.
This year the Macomb County Public Works Department announced new plans to add additional storage capacity to it’s existing sewer system — a move that could, according to estimates, reduce the amount of partially treated sewage entering the lake by up to 80-percent.
The county has also kickstarted programs at some beaches, including those at Lake St. Clair Metropark, where trained dogs chase off unwanted geese.
