By Marshall Griffin, KWMU
Jefferson City, MO – Some recent water samples taken from the Lake of the Ozarks contained E-Coli bacteria that exceed normal standards for swimming and other water sports.
Of the 53 samples taken by volunteers working with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, five exceeded E-Coli standards.
The highest sample was taken from a cove west of Osage Beach. It contained more than 12 times the state E-Coli standard for human exposure.
Department of Natural Resources spokesman Larry Archer says the results are not unusual.
"We typically find three to four samples out of the 50+ or so that are in excess of what we consider the standard for what we call 'whole body contact' type recreation," Archer said.
Archer added that the levels aren't so high that any portion of the Lake needs to be closed.
"There are inherent risks in swimming in lakes and streams...regardless of any specific test results, it's always there...some of them are natural and some of them are man-made...what we want to do is give people information and let them make their own decisions," Archer said.
Archer also says it's possible that the areas of the Lake that tested high could drop back down to normal within a week.
Samples taken at the Lake of the Ozarks State Park, home to two swimming areas and the infamous "Party Cove," did not exceed E-Coli standards.