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DUNKIRK, N.Y. — The Chautauqua County Health Department officials announced Point Gratiot beach in Dunkirk has just reopened, while Wright Park Beach still remains closed due to high levels of E.coli bacteria.
Environmental health officials perform weekly tests at 38 permitted beaches in Chautauqua County. They say the long hot days we've seen recently allow the E.coli to grow rapidly along the shoreline of Lake Erie.
With a recent grant they've received, they hope to find a way to stop the contamination.
"So what we're trying to do is find the sources of that E.coli and eliminate them so it is not there, its not available to grow in the sand and to become suspended in the water column," said Natalie Whiteman, Chautauqua County Department of Health.
Officials recommend checking the Chautauqua County Beach Monitoring Website
before heading out to the beach.