Adopt-a-Beach Update: Ohio Street Beach Cleanup – Tonight!

I volunteer for the Alliance for the Great Lakes, and every month I complete a “beach report” for Ohio Street Beach. This involves documenting a variety of conditions at the beach as well as testing and analyzing the water quality for bacterial levels. In addition, I collect and document the litter types and quantities present at that site.

All these findings are submitted to the Alliance, and they log this information into an online database which they use for pollution prevention and educational purposes. It’s all part of an ongoing effort to monitor the beach and water conditions throughout the Great Lakes and to identify any unhealthy patterns which might be developing along our lake shores.

In June, I picked a relatively slow time. In contrast, July’s report will take place this early evening where we are expected to have a much larger number of swimmers and beachgoers. While not entirely statistically significant, this will provide a much more representative sample of the the overall health and well being of Ohio Street Beach and the adjacent lake conditions.

I know some of you are planning to be out there for the free open water swim clinic. So if you see me at the beach, come up and say hi. I’ll be doing stuff like testing the water, picking up litter, taking photos of the beach conditions, and filling out voluminous reports.

Look for the silver and black commuter bike with the black panniers and American flag. I’ll be decked out in a blue Lake Monsters t-shirt – the very same type that you can purchase on site if you so desire!