Enjoying the lakes around 50th Street offers wonderful recreation opportunities, especially during the warmer months. However, it’s important to be aware of potential health risks associated with lake water and take necessary precautions to ensure your safety and well-being. Understanding these risks and following simple guidelines can help you and your family have a healthy and enjoyable time by the water.
Understanding Bacteria Levels After Rainfall
Rainfall significantly impacts the bacteria levels in lakes. When it rains, runoff from surrounding areas washes pollutants, including bacteria, into the lake. This is why high bacteria levels are commonly observed immediately after rainfall. Typically, these levels return to a safer range within approximately 48 hours, as natural processes help to cleanse the water. To minimize your risk of exposure to elevated bacteria:
- Avoid swimming immediately after rain: Wait at least 48 hours after a rainfall event before swimming in the lake. This allows natural purification processes to reduce bacteria levels.
- Minimize water ingestion: Try your best to avoid swallowing lake water while swimming. This is a primary way bacteria can enter your system.
- Practice good hygiene: Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and clean water before eating, especially after being in or around the lake. This is also crucial after activities like changing diapers near the water.
- Shower promptly: Shower with soap and fresh water as soon as possible after swimming in the lake to remove any potential contaminants from your skin.
Swimmer’s Itch: Managing a Common Lake Irritation
Swimmer’s itch, also known as cercarial dermatitis, is a temporary skin rash that can occur after swimming in lakes. It’s a harmless, albeit uncomfortable, reaction to parasites that normally infect birds and snails. These parasites are released into the water and can mistakenly burrow into human skin, causing small, red, itchy welts. Swimmer’s itch is more common on hot, still summer days when parasite concentrations may be higher in shallow waters. While the rash is temporary and the parasite cannot survive in humans, the itching can persist for several weeks in sensitive individuals. Here’s how to minimize your risk and manage swimmer’s itch:
- Vigorous towel drying: Immediately after leaving the water, briskly rub your skin with a coarse towel. This physical action can help remove parasites before they penetrate the skin.
- Focus on swimsuit areas: Pay special attention to towel drying under your swimsuit, particularly around the waistband and leg openings where water and parasites can be trapped against the skin.
- Shower after swimming: Shower with soap and fresh water as soon as possible after swimming. This helps wash off any parasites that may be on your skin.
Naegleria fowleri: Understanding a Rare but Serious Risk
Naegleria fowleri is a microscopic amoeba found in warm freshwater environments, including lakes and soil. While infections are extremely rare, this amoeba can cause a severe and often fatal brain infection called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). According to reports in the United States between 2005 and 2014, a small number of infections were linked to swimming in contaminated water, with a couple of cases occurring in Minnesota. Infection happens when water containing the amoeba enters the body through the nose, allowing it to travel to the brain. It’s crucial to understand that you cannot get infected by swallowing contaminated water, and the amoeba cannot penetrate the skin. To significantly reduce your risk of Naegleria fowleri infection, the Minnesota Department of Health recommends these precautions, especially relevant when enjoying lakes near 50th Street during warmer periods:
- Keep your head above water: Avoid putting your head underwater in warm freshwater, particularly during the summer months.
- Use nose protection: Hold your nose shut with your fingers or use nose clips when engaging in water activities to prevent water from entering your nasal passages.
- Avoid warm, shallow water during high temperatures: Be extra cautious in warm freshwater when the water temperature is high and the water level is low, as amoeba concentrations can be higher in these conditions.
- Minimize sediment disturbance: Avoid digging or stirring up sediment in shallow, warm freshwater areas, as the amoeba can be found in sediment.
For more detailed and up-to-date information about Naegleria fowleri, please refer to the resources provided by the Minnesota Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Pet Waste and Waterfowl: Contributing to Bacteria Levels
Increased bacteria levels in lakes are often attributed to sources like waterfowl and pet waste. Pet waste from yards, streets, and parks around the 50th Street area, as well as waste from ducks and geese, can be washed into lakes directly or through storm sewer systems, particularly after heavy rainfall. To help maintain cleaner and safer lake water:
- Pick up after your pet: Always clean up after your pet, especially when walking near lakes or parks.
- Dispose of pet waste properly: Dispose of pet waste in designated trash receptacles or pet waste stations to prevent it from entering storm drains and waterways.
By being informed and taking these simple preventative measures, residents and visitors around 50th Street can confidently enjoy the recreational benefits of local lakes while minimizing health risks associated with waterborne illnesses. Enjoy your time by the lake responsibly and stay safe!
