GRAND HAVEN, Mich. — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District (USACE) is pausing their dredging project in Grand Haven, Michigan. The pause is in response to Ottawa County Health Department's "no-contact order" for North Park Beach after preliminary testing found E. coli concentrations in the area.
The "no-contact" order was issued Thursday July 6, and effectively shut down all swimming at the North Beach Park in Ferrysburg after three tests on Wednesday had shown elevated levels of E.coli in the area.
The park will remain closed until sampling shows safe levels of E. coli in the water. The source of the bacteria is unknown, but USACE said the heavy rains over the last week likely elevated bacteria levels in the river.
Dredging operations in the channel take on a large amount of river water, they said that could explain the elevated levels of E. coli.
The USACE will continue to independently test the area and work with county officials to collect additional data from the area to test the river, beach area and dredging placement area.
“We have been coordinating closely with Ottawa County,” said Liz Newell Wilkinson, Grand Haven Resident Engineer. “While it is important that we complete dredging in the federal channel to allow continued commercial shipping unimpeded, we also take the County’s concerns seriously and will work closely with them as we make decisions moving forward on our dredging operations.”
The Grand Haven harbor is accessible for shipping currently as a result of the dredging they were able to complete, however about 35,000 yards of material remains to be dredged. The dredging operations will continue after the levels of E. coli are determined to be safe.
E. coli is a bacteria which is known to cause swimming-related illnesses when a person comes in contact with large amounts. The contact can result in diarrhea, skin rashes, ear pain, eye pain and congestion, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
In the meantime the USACE encourages the public to follow all safety warnings from Ottawa County for their well-being. They also ask residents and beach-goers to stay out of the construction zone.
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