16 Louisiana Beaches Have Active Advisories – See The Map

In recent weeks Louisiana's coastal waters have been a bit on the tumultuous side. The passing of Hurricane Beryl just to the west of the state certainly kicked up the surf. This led to numerous coastal advisories for flooding, rip currents, and rough seas in general.  And while the waters in the Gulf of Mexico may have calmed considerably since Beryl's passing there are still some dangers that bathers at Louisiana's most popular beaches should be aware of.

The Louisiana Department of Health currently monitors some 23 different beaches across Louisiana's coastline. The reason for the monitoring is to determine whether the water quality meets the criteria mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency. Water samples are taken weekly between the months of May and October.

As of this morning, 16 of the 23 monitored beaches in the state of Louisiana have advisories posted. The beaches that appear to be in the "best shape" as far as advisories are concerned appear to be those located on Grand Isle. There are seven beach sites monitored on Grand Isle and only Grand Isle Beach Site #3 has a current advisory.

In fact, the Grand Isle Beaches are the only monitored beaches in the state that don't have an advisory associated with them. Here is a screenshot of the map from the Louisiana Department of Health.

If you follow this link, you can use the interactive version of this map to zoom in on a particular beach location. As you can see, the only "green dots" on the map are in southeastern Louisiana at Grand Isle. Everywhere else from the beaches of Cameron and Calcasieu Parish to the beaches along Lake Pontchartrain have a red dot indicating an issue.

We should mention that only one beach, Lake Charles South Beach, has been closed to recreational users. The other beaches remain open. However, bathers are cautioned about swimming and exposure to the water at those beaches. The risk involves exposure to higher-than-normal levels of bacteria that can cause illness, infection, or rashes. Please use your best judgment before entering or allowing family members to enter the water at a Louisiana beach with a posted advisory.