Excessive milfoil closes Clear Lake beach in Espanola

The Sudbury & District Health Unit has issued a closure order to the Town of Espanola advising the public that the water at Clear Lake beach is unsafe for use by the public and has been rendered inaccessible.

The closure is the result of a large mass of Eurasian milfoil.

Although the presence of milfoil, in and of itself, is not considered a health hazard, the heavy accumulation is of sufficient quantity and is located in an area that may directly affect the health and safety of the swimmers, said a press release. Dense plant life in the bathing area can cause entanglement of a bather or could prevent the ability to see someone in distress.

“The Town of Espanola has co-operated fully with the Sudbury & District Health Unit,” said Cindy Peacock-Rocca, a manager in the Health Unit’s Environmental Health Division. The closure order will remain in effect until such time the level of risk is considered acceptable and swimming can resume.

The Sudbury & District Health Unit monitors public beaches and takes routine water samples every week during the summer from 33 local beaches.

For more information about beach water quality, call the Sudbury & District Health Unit at 705-522-9200, ext. 398 or visit www.sdhu.com.