There is no swimming today at Silver Beach County Park or Rocky Gap County Park. Berrien County Parks Director Brian Bailey tells WSJM News they’ve put up red flags at both beaches due to the wind picking up and resulting in high waves and a rip current warning from the National Weather Service. But there’s another issue at Silver Beach that’s also closed it for the first time in a few years.
“The (Berrien County) Health Department in their standard procedures on Monday sampled water. The results came back this morning, and there’s high E. coli count at Silver Beach,” Bailey says.
Bailey says it’s the first time this year the beach has been closed for a high E. coli count, and it didn’t happen at all last year. The Berrien County Health Department says the sample came back with an E. coli level of 610 per 100 milliliters, just over double the amount considered safe for swimming. WSJM News has reached out to the Berrien County Health Department for the exact number. The water will continue to be tested, and the beach will reopen once those levels drop and the rip current warning expires.
This story has been updated to reflect the testing results from the Berrien County Health Department.
