Popular Shuswap Lake beach at Sunnybrae Park closed by health officials

A popular beach on ShuswapLakeis closed after water tests detected high levels of the bacteria E. coli.

Health officials are asking people to stay out of the water at Sunnybrae Park, northeast of Salmon Arm,after the two most recent test results came back with high levels of the bacteria.

E. coli can cause gastrointestinal illness if ingested.

• Northern spring under boil water order in region with few wells
• Vancouver residents asked to keep out of Trout Lake due to highcoliformlevels

"So the sample taken on July 20th was really high, almost 10 times what the high level would be, or the acceptable would be," said Jennifer Jacobsen with the Interior Health Authority.

Jacobsen says a second sample showed lower levels of E. coli, but still above acceptable levels.

She says goose feces could be the cause, which, when coupled with thunderstorm rains that run off into the lake, typically elevate E coli levels.

The health authority is re-testing water quality at the beach and will advise the public once it is safe to swim again.

With files from Brady Strachan