DES MOINES, Iowa — Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer, and that means swimming. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has released its first beach advisory this year. Swimming is not recommended at four including the beaches at Backbone, Beeds Lake, Black Hawk and Nine Eagle state parks.

Forty-one beaches were tested. E. coli levels were found to exceed the standard at those four. The DNR tests weekly through Labor Day.

https://iaenvironment.salsalabs.org/weeklywaterwatch-5-23-25?wvpId=84cddfd2-63c4-4a40-ad0b-c724fc23c4b7