Center Lake beach will be closed this weekend due to high E. coli levels found in the lake.
The Warsaw Parks Department was advised Tuesday by the Kosciusko County Health Department to close the beach after high E. coli levels were found in the water from testing conducted Monday.
Center Lake and Winona Lake beaches previously were closed Aug. 7 due to high E. coli levels found in the lake.
Syracuse and Winona Lake beaches reopened this morning after being closed since Tuesday due to high E. coli levels.
Kosciusko County Health Department Administrator Bob Weaver said Center Lake will remain closed this weekend and E. coli testing will be conducted on the lake Monday morning. The results will be available Tuesday.
Weaver attributed the high E. coli levels to street water run-off from heavy rains into Center Lake.
A health department employee is sent out to test the water at two sites at the bathing area at a minimum of 25 feet from shore. If tests show there are more than 235 colonies of E. coli per 100 milliliters of water, the beach is closed. The department takes two water samples from each site every Monday.
Two samples taken the same day with E. coli counts of less than 235 colonies per 100 milliliters of water is required for reopening of the beach to the public.
Park Superintendent Jon Garber said water is high in Pike Lake, and lifeguards will not be on duty this weekend so swimmers will swim at their own risk.
He said the department schedules lifeguards at one beach on weekends until Labor Day.
"Since Center Lake will be closed this weekend, and the water in Pike Lake is high, we will not schedule lifeguards this weekend," Garber said.
