CBS Report: Top 10 Dirtiest Beaches in America
Illinois
# 9 Lake County: North Point Marina North Beach. CBS pointed out this is the largest marina on any Great Lake.
Wisconsin:
#10 Kenosha County: Echelman Beach
# *6 Milwaukee County: South Shore Beach
Top 10 dirtiest beaches in America*Pictures - CBS News
Judging from some of comment in the side bar, I'm not convinced this is NOT one of those "if it bleeds it leads" articles used to drive advertising dollars, and I will tell you why.
I spent the better part of eleven years living at a marina with more than 50 sailboats in the water year round. And I've lived near a very large river. I've seen what weather can do; I've seen what birds can do, and I've seen what people can do. There are certain things that cannot be controlled.
Bird poop is a common where water and land or water and boats meet. So is run-off from torrential rains. This is as common as leaves in scuppers, and fishing line in propellers. People who own boats do incredibly stupid things. Not all, but certainly more than a few.
Is this a problem on beaches? Certainly it is is. Is it as big a problem as it is made out to be in this article? Probably not. It may be more of a problem in some areas and less in others.
The captain is responsible for his ship. If his guests are throwing trash in the water, he should toss the guest overboard and stow the trash until he is back in port. Lose items fly off in high winds. It is hard to say where it will end up. Don't keep it on the top deck; stow it.
Is a beach where people congregate any less healthy than it was 50 years ago? I doubt it. I came home with Hepatitis after spending most of my summer on a public lake in Minneapolis. I personally think it is a craps shoot to swim in lake, river or ocean where the public congregates. A private beach may or may not afford any better protection.
There are too many natural elements that can affect any body of water to be making rash statements about the health of America's beaches. On the other hand communities that love their beaches could do a better job of policing the shorlines and testing the water.
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