UPDATE: Some Crystal Lake, McHenry County beaches remain closed Saturday

Beaches in Crystal Lake and Lake in the Hills remained closed Saturday because of elevated levels of bacteria in the water.

[ See the latest update on Monday beach closings  ]

In Crystal Lake, Three Oaks Recreation Area’s beach and Crystal Lake Main Beach continue to be shut down. Updates by the city and park district early Saturday indicated the both swimming areas are until further notice.

Crystal Lake’s West Beach remains open Saturday as being open. At Main Beach, boat rentals are still available and the park remain open.

In Lake in the Hills, Butch Hagele and Indian Trail beaches also closed Friday and remaned listed as closed early Saturday.

Island Lake’s Veterans Park Beach has not yet opened for the season, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health, The IDPH reported that Dorothy Court Beach in Island Lake also was closed. Island Lake is conducting treatment for algae and duckweed for five days, according to a Facebook post from the village Thursday.

Many private lakes have also been shut down, particularly in the Wonder Lake area.

The McHenry County Department of Health regularly tests for E. coli in the water of public beaches to indicate bacterial quality, as it is considered to be a “measure of fecal contamination,” according to the county health department website.

Beaches are closed when both shallow and deep lake water samples exceed the E. coli closing standard of 235 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters of water, according to the county health department.

Beaches will reopen once new samples confirm that E. coli readings drop to acceptable levels. Factors such as natural die-off, wind, waves and ultraviolet rays from the sun all help reduce the level of bacteria. But how long it takes for the levels to reduce varies, according to the McHenry County Department of Health.

There are a variety of reasons for elevated levels of bacteria in the water, including storm runoff from rainfall, agricultural runoff, wild and domestic animal waste, bather defecation and wastewater.

Swimmers exposed to such high bacteria could develop gastroenteritis-type illness, with symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, headache, a low-grade fever, skin rashes and earaches. The McHenry County Department of Health advises anyone who experiences these symptoms after swimming at a public beach to contact a physician and the beach manager.

As for the prospect of beaches reopening Saturday, that appears in most cases to be a day-to-day decision. You can check the status at the Illinois Department of Public Health’s BeachGuard site here: idph.illinois.gov/envhealth/ilbeaches/public.