High bacteria levels closed South Shore Beach Thursday and people were warned to stay out of the water or risk serious illness.

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FOLKS HOPING TO ENJOY THEIR HOLIDAY AT THE BEACH. JUST MINUTES AFTER ROB FROST AND FAMILY HIT THE BEACH, THE SIGNS WENT UP. IT IS? >> THE BEACHES CLOSE. YOU HAVE TO STAY OUT OF THE WATER. >> O I THINK THEY MIGHT HAVE JUST POSTED THAT. >> TESTING SHOWED HIGH LEVELS OF E. COLI BACTERIA IN THE LAKE HERE ALONG THE BEACH, AND THE MILWAUKEE HEALTH DEPARTMENT SHUT IT DOWN. >> THE BEACHES CLOSE TODAY? >> REALLY? >> WHAT? IT WAS DISAPPOINTING TO THOSE WHO WANTED TO TAKE A DIP ON THIS JULY 4. ARE YOU SORRY YOU CAN’T GO IN THE WATER TODAY? >> YEP, I’M REAL SORRY. >> BUT IT WAS NOT A SURPRISE. FOR DECADES, THIS BEACH HAS CLOSED MORE OFTEN THAN ANY OTHER MORE THAN 50% OF THE DAYS LAST SUMMER. RESEARCHERS AT UWM’S SCHOOL OF FRESHWATER SCIENCE POINT TO SEVERAL FACTORS, PRIMARILY WASTE FROM THE MANY BIRDS HERE, AND RUNOFF FROM STREETS AND PARKING LOTS. THE SOLUTION TO THESE BEACH CLOSURES, MANY EXPERTS SAY, IS TO PICK UP AN MOVE THE ENTIRE BEACH. COUNTY PARKS OFFICIALS ARE STUDYING PLANS THAT COULD EVENTUALLY RELOCATE THE BEACH JUST A SHORT DISTANCE TO THE SOUTH, WHERE TESTS SHOW THE WATER IS MUCH CLEANER. MEANWHILE, BEACH GOERS ON THIS HOLIDAY WERE FORCED TO MAKE OTHER PLAN >> WELL, I WAS PLANNING TO GO TO THE BEACH, YOU KNOW. HAVE A NICE TIME THIS FOURTH OF JULY. >> IT’S STILL BEAUTIFUL DOWN HERE IT IS STILL THE I’M NOT GOING TO FOURTH OF JULY. LET THAT RUIN THE DAY, OR THE HOLIDAY. DERRICK: NOTHING LIKE CHANGING THINGS AT THE LAST MINUTE. KENT, WE SHOWED THAT BRADFORD BEACH WAS BUSY TODAY. ARE ANY OTHER BEACHES HAVE SAME PROBLEMS WITH BACTERIA? THERE WAS A CAUTION POSTED AT ZOO BEACH IN RACINE BECAUSE OF ELEVATED BACTERIA LEVELS BUT IT WAS OPEN. THERE NO PROBLEMS FOUND AT ANY OTHER AREA BEACHES IN THE AREA. THIS IS THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS

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Advertisement Milwaukee beach closed on holiday because of high E. coli bacteria level High bacteria levels closed South Shore Beach Thursday and people were warned to stay out of the water or risk serious illness. Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Thousands of people hit area beaches on this warm Fourth of July, except for one Milwaukee beach that was closed. High bacteria levels forced the closure South Shore Beach on Thursday. People were warned to stay out of the water or risk serious illness.Testing showed high levels of E. coli bacteria in Lake Michigan along the beach, and the Milwaukee Health Department shut it down.It was disappointing to those who wanted to take a dip on this July Fourth.But it was not a surprise. For decades, the beach has closed more often than any other -- more than 50 percent of the days last summer.Researchers at University of Wisconsin Milwaukee's School of Freshwater Science point to several factors, primarily waste from the many birds here and runoff from streets and parking lots.The solution to these beach closures, many experts say, is to pick up and move the entire beach.Milwaukee County Parks officials are studying plans that could eventually relocate the beach just a short distance to the south, where tests show the water is much cleaner. Meanwhile, beachgoers on this holiday were forced to make other plans."Well, I was planning to go to the beach, you know? Have a nice time this Fourth of July," Katherine Valderama said. "It's still beautiful down here. It's still the Fourth of July. I'm not going to let that ruin the day, or the holiday," Rob Frost said. An alert was posted for Zoo Beach in Racine because of elevated bacteria levels, but it was open.No problems were found at any other area beaches in the state's reporting system.