Sandy Hook beach reopens for swimming after closure yesterday
Sandy Hook's Gunnison Beach. (Photo: 3twenty6 via Flickr Creative Commons)
A Sandy Hook beach is open for swimming a day after officials prohibited water activities.
Officials temporarily banned swimming at Gunnison Beach, the national park’s “clothing optional” area, yesterday morning due to unacceptable bacteria levels.
A sample of ocean water indicated bacteria levels at 143/100 ml, exceeding the maximum allowed safe level of 104/100 ml, a park official said. A sample processed this morning indicated an acceptable level.
The beach remained open. It’s the second time this month swimming was prohibited in the national park. Beach D was closed for a day on July 6.
Elsewhere, one beach in Cape May County is closed today and 13 beaches throughout Monmouth, Ocean, and Cape May counties are under swimming advisories, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
See the full list at njbeaches.org.
Beach closures and swimming advisories sometimes occur after heavy rain. According to the state, 99.9% of this season’s beach days have been open for bathing.
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