The Melvern Lake Outlet Beach remains closed as the Army Corps of Engineers await the results from recent testing.
According to Melvern Lake Army Corps of Engineers Natural Resource Manager Jim Franz, samples of the water were taken Sunday by Pace Analytics. He says they hope to have those results by the end of the day Monday.
The swimming area was closed Friday after elevated levels of E. Coli were discovered in the water. Franz says there are several possibilities as to what led to the bacteria in the water. The most probable is due to the lake being 15 feet above normal due to wide-spread flooding over the past few months. Franz says when the flood waters rise it leads to chemicals and debris flowing into the main lake which is where the water for the swimming area comes from.
He explains this is a common occurrence when dealing with flooding of the recent magnitude. As of now, it is uncertain whether the swimming area will be re-opened by the Fourth of July.
Stay with KVOE and KVOE.com for more updates as they become available.
