Wisconsin Forums

[AJE]

Our Beaches are Hurting

Whether you are walking a remote stretch of Schoolhouse Beach on Washington Island or playing volleyball on Two Rivers Neshotah waterfront park, our Wisconsin beaches serve as gathering spots for friends, families, and people of all ages, cultures, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

They help weave us together as communities. Unfortunately, bacteria, viruses, and other “germs” from animal and human excrete often puts our region’s beaches in peril. The contaminations ultimately get embedded in the Great Lakes as well as their tributaries thanks to our sewer drainage, wildlife, and any agricultural runoff.

I hope to provide some guidelines on Beach Contamination through some easy steps intended to help you understand why beaches close, and how we can attempt to minimize these ailments for ultimately a healthier beach ecology.