[KIRKLAND] – (MTN) King County officials have closed the swimming area at Juanita Beach Park for at least a week due to bacteria levels that exceed safety standards. The swimming area frequently closes in the summer months in recent years. The water around Juanita Bay is stagnant in the summer months, and a combination of waterfowl, seasonal stickleback die off, and our historic heat was a perfect storm for the early than normal closure.

Water quality staff from the King County Water and Land Resources Division tested the water on Tuesday, June 29, and found that the levels of bacteria on the eastern shore of the beach exceeded the thresholds for bacteria based on the average of the last three tests. King County crews will return to the beach next week to collect further samples. The beach at Juanita Beach Park will reopen when bacteria levels return to a safe range.

People and pets should not swim, drink lake water, or engage in other water activities at Juanita Beach.

Signs have been positioned to indicate that the beach is closed. City lifeguards will be onsite during the closure to communicate with beachgoers and provide information.