Crescent Beach goes from advisory to closure to advisory By Kevin Boneske For The News-Chronicle Monitoring at Algoma's Crescent Beach this week has indicated the water quality has gone from bad to worse to bad, based upon the level of E. coli bacteria. Following Monday's sample, a swimming advisory indicating an "increased risk of illness" was issued Tuesday. A beach closure took effect Wednesday when Tuesday's sample indicated a "serious risk of illness." The closure was changed Thursday, back to an advisory, based upon Wednesday's sample. Advisories are issued when the number of E. coli bacteria colonies in a 100-milliliter water sample is between 235 and 1,000, while a reading greater than 1,000 warrants a beach closure. Due to the time involved to conduct the lab work, which is being carried out this summer by a faculty-student research team from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, the test results become available the day after a sample is taken. Advisories and closures remain in effect until a subsequent water sample tests below 235 E. coli colonies per 100 milliliters of water. The other Kewaunee County beach being tested this summer, the city of Kewaunee beach, has remained open this week after Monday's sample was within acceptable standards for swimming. Water samples are being regularly collected twice a week at the Crescent Beach, a "medium-priority" beach, and once a week at the city of Kewaunee beach, a "low-priority" beach. However, the high readings at the Crescent Beach have warranted additional sampling this week. Beach monitoring results are being posted on the "www.wibeaches.us" Web site and are also available by calling a toll-free number at 1-800-441-4636 Ext. 1460. In the event of an advisory or closure, notification signs will be posted at the county's two beaches with an advisory sign being yellow in color and a closure sign being red.