So far in 2018, beaches in Erie County have seen far fewer swimming closures than they had by this time last year. A good sign for thousands of Western New Yorkers who decide to spend a day or two at the beach during the 4th of July holiday week.
From Memorial Day to the 4th of July, all five Erie County beaches along the lake shore have seen fewer closings from E.coli bacteria. 7 Eyewitness News looked at data compiled by the U.S. Geological Survey, which tracks levels of bacteria at different beaches and records when beaches are closed to swimming.
You can see the current beach conditions by clicking here.
Closings from Memorial Day to 4th of July, 2017 v. 2018:
- Woodlawn Beach
- 2017: 24 days
- 2018: 11 days
- Hamburg Beach
- 2017: 17 days
- 2018: 10 days
- Evans Town Beach
- 2017: 7 days
- 2018: 1 day
- Lake Erie Beach
- 2017: 7 days
- 2018: 0 days
- Bennett Beach
- 2017: 8 days
- 2018: 3 days
Whether or not the water quality is poor enough to force beaches to close depends a lot on recent weather, according to the Erie County Department of Health. Heavy rain leads to runoff into Lake Erie which causes a dip in water quality.
For more information about Erie County's beaches, click here.
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