Dossier
Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Coverage of Iowa Department of Natural Resources in the Nexus archive.
- Popular beaches closed as high bacteria levels raise health concerns for swimmers
Officials in Iowa, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Washington have closed beaches due to elevated bacteria levels, including E. coli, raising health concerns for swimmers. The Environment America Research & Policy Center reported 61% of U.S. beaches had potentially unsafe contamination in 2024. Contamination sources include fecal matter from urban runoff, sewage overflows, and pathogens from factory farms.