Bacteria causes beach closures

Goose droppings create E. coli increase

Goose droppings are to blame for an E. coli spike in lake water that has forced the closure of two beaches in Southwest Arkansas.

The Corps of Engineers has closed Jefferson Ridge Park East Swim Beach on Dierks Lake and Coon Creek Swim Beach on Gilliam Lake until further notice. The move was prompted by a recent Arkansas Department of Health report indicating that higher-than-acceptable E. coli levels were discovered during routine testing.

“According to Arkansas Department of Health officials, the high bacteria levels could be from a heavy amount of goose droppings. A continual challenge in dealing with residential geese is the fact that people are feeding them,” said Corps spokesman Laurie Driver in a news release. “This time of year, the geese are in the molting period, so they can’t fly, which also contributes to the higher concentration of geese in particular areas.”

Driver recommends not feeding the geese.

For information on the status of other recreation areas in the Dierks and Gilliam lakes area, call the Millwood Tri-Lakes Project Office at 870-898-3343, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Recreation information can be found on the Internet at swl.usace.army.mil, on Facebook at facebook.com/ littlerockusace and on Twitter at twitter.com/#!/ usacelittlerock.