General Health & Safety Guidelines For Beach Usage
To help ensure the safety of beach goers we recommend that you always take the following precautions when swimming in and around natural bodies of water including Storm Lake.
- Never drink or take in water from a natural water source such as a lake or stream
- Always shower or bathe after swimming in natural waters
- Don't swim if you have any open sores or cuts on your body
- Always swim with a partner
If you become ill after swimming in a natural body of water you should seek medical treatment from a licensed physician or emergency room doctor.
Beach goers should also note that beaches on Storm Lake are
NOT guarded and swimming in these locations is done at your own risk at all times.
E-Coli & E-Coli Testing
Excherichia Coli, commonly called E-Coli, is a rod-shaped bacterium that can cause serious illness in humans. Common routes of transmission include unhygienic food preparation, and contamination due to manure in contaminated water.
Since natural bodies of water attract animals, espeically birds it is common to have some level of fecal matter (manure) in a natural body of water. When levels of manure reach higher levels the level of E-Coli found in the water can rise and the risk of illness increases.
The City of Storm Lake and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources do testing (in Storm Lake testing is generally done by the City of Storm Lake). Results of the testing can be found on
DNRWebsite.