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Juanita Beach in Kirkland closed due to high levels of bacteria

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KIRKLAND — The water near Kirkland’s Juanita Beach is too dangerous for swimming after officials found dangerous levels of bacteria in the waters.

The beach is shut down for at least a week because that part of Lake Washington is testing too high for some bacteria that can be a problem for people and pets.

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The beaches will be closed for at least a week, and signs will be posted in the area to warn people about the dangerous bacteria.

“Water quality staff from the King County Water and Land Resources Division tested the water recently and found that the levels of bacteria at the beach exceeded the thresholds for bacteria based on the average of the last three tests,” Kirkland city officials said in their announcement.

The swimming area will be reopened when bacteria levels return to a safe number.

KIRO 7 spoke to King County Ecologist Dr. Daniel Nidzorski back in May, who detailed how there are three things beachgoers can do to help minimize beach closures this season.

  • Make sure little ones have proper swimming diapers to avoid accidents leaking into the water.
  • Avoid swimming at the beach for 1-2 days following a rainy day.
  • Do NOT feed ducks or geese.

According to officials, feeding the birds at the beaches is the most pressing issue. Feeding ducks and geese brings double the birds and double the waste.

Full updates on the beaches on Lake Washington can be found here.

This story was originally published on MyNorthwest

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