Ottawa County news. (Port Clinton, Ohio) 1931-1956, 1951-05-04
EAST KARDOR PARK BEACH
RATED AS CLEANEST ALONG
LAKESHORE IN STATE SURVEY

East Harbor Park beach, focal
point in Lake Erie's Vacationland,
received a favorable boost this
week from the Division of Water
OF the Department of Natural Re-
sources, which declared the waters
in this area to be the cleanest in
the state.
Summer bathers will hail the
report of the Lake Erie Pollution
Survey, released by the Resources
Department, in which it was de-
clared that East Harbor Park and
Cedar Point areas show excellent
water quality In other words the
water in these areas have indi-
Gated the lowest bacteria count
found in the entire lake survey.
Most dangerous lake water was
discovered in the Rocky River out
let to Chagrin Beach. Vermilion
and Iorain areas were found to
rate from doubtful to poor.
Sewage Pollution
The surveys highpoints con-
cerning general conditions of Lake
Erie from both the vacationer's
and fisherman's interests, indicat-
ed that waters along the shores of
Lake Erie are seriously contamin-
ated with sewage pollution, and
that most streams entering the
lake with the exception of the
eastern and western ends of the
lake, are infected with germs.
Preliminary data indicated that
the principal streams entering
Lake Erie are carrying, during
food stage, unusually large guam
titles of silt and soil into the lake.
Tests Of the Is bathing beaches
during the 1850 season indicate
that II contain greater amounts
of pollution than is tolerated by
public health standards, result
of lack of or insufficient treatment
of sewage in urban areas.
Water from all the Is lake in
takes used for public water supply,
sampled daily, indicate water of
good quality This indicates that
severe pollution is confined close
to the shore.
Daily sampling and chemical
analysis of tributary streams indi
Gated that the Grand River, fol
example, is heavily charged with
chloride contamination as it enters
the lake.
Chemical analysis of water from
the lake intakes indicates that two
of the intakes show the effect OF
this increased chloride. The dilu
ton factor is so great, however
that the chloride content has no
4 affected the drinking quality or po
liability of water from these two
intakes.
Chemical analysis of streams fol
toxic substances indicates that !
of the II major streams entering
the Lake had occasional small
amounts of toxic salts.
Threat To Fishing
Siltation (soil pollution) wa
found serious threat TO continued
fishing success in the Lake. Test
conducted on rivers emptying int,
the lake showed the discharge O
silt was exceptionally high durin,
the past year, particularly by th'
Maumee River. 1t would not b.
impossible for the Maumee Rive
to discharge over 100000 tons o
silt into Lake Erie in q month
time, the report stated.
Silt is a pllution destructive t
fish, aquatic life and water qua
ity. 1t is a pollution that can b
controlled by better land manage
ment, reduction of soil erosion
stream control, river bed and ban
stabilization, and reduction Q
shore erosion.
Other corrective measures RI
commended in the report includ
treatment of sewage to liminate
as a source of pollution and til
prevention of the discharge of ra'
sewage into Ohio'S waters wtihou
treatment