June 09, 2006

• As of June 7, recreational water quality was excellent at all beaches monitored by Manitoba Water Stewardship including beaches on Lake Winnipeg, Lake Manitoba, Lake Dauphin, in the Whiteshell and Birds Hill areas, and others.

• On Lake Winnipeg, water quality is presently within recreational water quality guidelines at all 18 beaches monitored including Victoria, Albert, Hillside, Lester, West Grand, East Grand, Patricia, Grindstone, Black Point, Gull Harbour, Sandy Bar, Hnausa, Spruce Sands, Gimli, Sandy Hook, Winnipeg and Matlock beaches.

• Levels of Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria were briefly above the recreational water quality guideline at East Grand Beach on June 5 but quickly returned to below guidelines by June 7. Exceedance of the guideline of 200 E. coli/100 mL was likely caused by weather conditions when high winds and waves led to bacteria being washed out of beach sand and into the water. On Lake Winnipeg, weather and lake level information appear to be good predictors of E. coli bacteria levels. Strong northerly winds that cause waves and push water levels higher tend to cause E. coli bacteria levels to increase. When calmer weather returns, E. coli bacteria levels typically fall quickly to below guideline levels.

• Manitoba Water Stewardship routinely monitors 18 beaches on Lake Winnipeg. All of the beaches are sampled at least weekly while Gimli and West Grand beaches are also monitored daily. Beaches in the Whiteshell and Birds Hill areas, Lake Manitoba and Lake Dauphin, and others are monitored once every two to four weeks.

• Results for all beaches across Manitoba are posted as they become available on Manitoba Water Stewardship’s website at http://www.gov.mb.ca/waterstewardship.

• Extensive sampling for E. coli in beach sand and water on Lake Winnipeg is underway again this year and follows from the work done in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

• Extensive research has shown that wet sand underlying a number of Lake Winnipeg beaches contains E. coli bacteria that can be washed into beach water when water levels rise and flood beaches.

• Advanced testing known as DNA ribotyping is being used to identify sources of contamination. Results over the last several years indicate that approximately 50 per cent of the sand and water samples could be attributed to shorebirds and geese, while 36 per cent of the samples could not be matched to a source. Only seven per cent of the samples could be attributed to human activity.

• Advisory signs will be posted at East Grand Beach on June 9. Advisory signs were posted at Hnausa, Spruce Sands, and Sandy Bar beaches on Lake Winnipeg on June 2. Due to fluctuating levels of E. coli bacteria, these beaches will remain posted for the summer.

• Most swimmers will not become ill when E. coli bacteria levels are elevated above the recreational water quality guideline. However, the possibility of illness increases with rising levels of bacteria.

• Manitobans can safely enjoy the province’s plentiful beaches and are advised to keep a few things in mind when at the beach: