GAINESVILLE, Ga. — Staycationers rejoice! An Atlanta area river beach has reopened after a recent water test.
The beach at River Forks Park in Hall County was shut down over the weekend due to high bacteria levels. But a test conducted on Monday found that the numbers had dropped back to safe levels.
According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources' website, it can be difficult to trace exactly where the bacteria originates, but animal waste, stormwater runoff, and boating waste. And, while there isn't a huge goose population along the water, the county believes that the high bacteria levels could be due to the birds.
Roughly a week earlier, workers at the park said it was filled with people for Memorial Day weekend. The closing of the beach changed that pretty significantly.
Those who keep an eye on the park were glad to see crowds heeding their warnings and signs. Had someone decided to go for a swim anyway, they would have been at risk of a stomach ache or sore throat.
***