Beaches and Recreational Waters in Minnesota
Links
On this page:
State and Local Sources
Federal Sources
International Sources
Attention: Links on this page take you outside the Minnesota Department of Health website.
State and Local Sources
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources: Swimmer's Itch
Information on “Swimmer's Itch” (schistosome dermatitis). - Minnesota Department of Natural Resources: Lakes Finder
Locate Lakes and Beaches in Minnesota. - Great Lakes Beachcast
General information on water contaminants. - Duluth Streams
A comprehensive look at water quality and biology in the Duluth area. - Metropolitan Council: Water Quality Monitoring
Rivers, Streams and Lakes Monitoring in the Twin Cities Metro Area. Sewage Spill Monitoring Reports for the Metro Area. - MPCA: Floods: Minimizing Pollution and Health Risks
Information on the health risks of flood-waters. - MPCA: Minnesota Lake Superior Beach Monitoring Program
- MPCA: Minnesota's Impaired Waters and Total Maximum Daily Loads
- MPCA: What you should know about blue-green algae (PDF: 139KB/2 pages)
- Minnesota Biological Monitoring
- Minnesota (Chapter 7050) Waters of The State
Water Quality Standards for Protection of Waters of the State - Three Rivers Park District (formerly Hennepin Parks)
Swimming Beaches Bacteria Guidelines for Hennepin County - Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board
- Wisconsin Beach Health
- Lake Access
Real-time water quality for Lake Minnetonka - Hennepin County Beach Water Quality Information
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Federal Sources
- CDC: Healthy Swimming/Recreational Water
Answers to your questions about Recreational Water Illnesses (RWIs) - EPA: Biocriteria - Bioassessment and Biocriteria
Federal recommendations for beach closure. - EPA: Great Lakes National Program Office
Information on contaminated sediments, pollution prevention, etc. - EPA: Great Lakes Monitoring - The Swimmability Index
- EPA: Beach Monitoring & Notification
- FDA: Bad Bug Book
Describes various foodborne pathogens, many of which appear in beaches. - Great Lake Commission (des Grands Lacs)
Nonidigenous Invasive Species (NIS) Information - Oceana: Protecting the World's Oceans
This website offers a guide to state programs across the United States.
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International Sources
- World Health Organization (WHO): Recreational “Bathing” Waters
Describes international public health efforts for beach protection including sampling and analysis. - Health Canada: Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria) and their Toxins
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