Missouri State Parks beaches beckon those seeking relief from the heat

Image via WikipediaJEFFERSON CITY, MO, AUG. 3, 2011 – As the heat continues to have Missourians scrambling for shade, fans and whatever source of respite they can find, Missouri State Parks encourages guests to cool off with a splash at any one of its 19 state park beaches that are open for visitors.

All of Missouri’s state parks beaches are open to visitors with the exception of the beach at Lewis and Clark State Park in northwest Missouri, which is closed due to flooding.

The water at all designated beaches in the state park system is sampled weekly during the recreational season by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to determine suitability for swimming. Water samples taken Monday showed all of the beaches easily met the department’s water quality standards.

Information about current status of beaches at other parks is available on the website at mostateparks.com. Signs indicating the status of the beaches are posted at the beaches as well.

Missouri State Parks maintains a list of alerts and advisories at mostateparks.com to notify the public when beaches or other facilities at state parks are unavailable.

Missouri's state parks and historic sites offer something to suit everyone's taste - outdoor adventure, great scenery and a bit of history. With Missouri’s 85 state parks and historic sites, the possibilities are boundless.

Grand Glaize Beach at Lake of the Ozarks State Park reopens

Image by km6xo via Flickr

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, JULY 27, 2011 – Visitors to Lake of the Ozarks State Park’s Grand Glaize Beach can once again jump into the water, beat the summer heat and have fun at the lake this weekend following the latest water sample results. 

            “The public is becoming very familiar with our website and the beach status information posted on the web,” said Bill Bryan, director of Missouri State Parks, a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.  “So, it was no surprise that when our park staff arrived to reopen the Grand Glaize beach they were met by 20 swimmers who had already checked the website and were ready to go swimming.”

            The Grand Glaize Beach reopened today after water samples taken Monday showed bacteria levels well below the department’s acceptable levels for state park beaches. 

            The water at all designated beaches in the state park system is sampled weekly during the recreational season by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to determine suitability for swimming. Water quality can be determined to be unsuitable for swimming based on either the single sample taken earlier in the week, or by the geometric mean, which is a mathematical value that takes into consideration results from the current week plus the results taken during the previous weeks.
            The sample test results indicate a snap shot of the water quality taken at the beaches at a specific time; however, a single sample does not provide an overall sense of the water quality in the lake where the beach is located. Water samples are taken to check for E. coli, a common indicator species for bacteria.
            Information about current status of beaches at other parks is available on the website at mostateparks.com. Signs indicating the status of the beaches are posted at the beaches as well.
            Beaches and other facilities at state parks may be unavailable for reasons unrelated to bacteria, such as the beach at Lewis and Clark State Park, which remains closed due to flooding. Missouri State Parks maintains a list of alerts and advisories at mostateparks.com.
            Missouri's state parks and historic sites offer something to suit everyone's taste - outdoor adventure, great scenery and a bit of history. With Missouri’s 85 state parks and historic sites, the possibilities are boundless.
            For more information about Missouri state parks and historic sites and swimming beaches, visit mostateparks.com.

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• Three state park swimming beaches reopen following low bacteria levels (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)
• Swimming beaches at four state parks temporarily closed following heavy rainfall, bacteria levels Two others closed due to storm, flooding damage (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)