Louisiana Beach Advisories Posted – 7 Beaches Affected

It is the time of year when the desire to go down to the water is extremely strong. And in Louisiana, we are pulled in the direction the map turns blue for a variety of reasons. Some of us love to get to the water's edge for swimming and sunbathing. There are others that go for the watersports such as skiing and riding jet skis. Still, others like Louisiana's coastal parishes for fishing, crabbing, shrimping, and basically continuing our Louisiana lifestyle.

And while the desire to hit the beach this time of year is strong, this is also the time of the year when the beaches may not be in the best shape for human interaction. That's why the Louisiana Department of Health has a beach monitoring plan in place. The program monitors 23 different beach sites across the Louisiana coastline from the eastern parishes to "darn near Texas" to the west.

The most recent publication from LDH suggests that seven of the state's twenty-three beaches have advisories posted. One beach is closed to recreational activity. Four of the state's beaches, all on Grand Isle in Grand Isle State Park, have had the beach sampling program suspended because of damages incurred during Hurricane Ida in 2021.

So here's your scorecard for Louisiana beaches as we head into the weekend. Twelve of the state's beaches are free and clear for public use. Those beaches include Constance Beach, Fontainebleau State Park, all the sites monitored on Grand Isle, and all sites monitored at Holly Beach. Those are the beaches on the good list.

The beaches that currently have advisories posted for them include Cypremort Point State Park, Elmer's Island, Little Florida Beach, Long(Dung) Beach, Martin Beach, and Rutherford Beach.  Remember these advisories don't just cover the aspect of swimming. They pertain to any and all activities where getting in the water might be necessary. That includes fishing, shrimping, and crabbing.

The beach advisory page is updated weekly and as necessary. Unfortunately, the extreme temperatures contribute to rising water temperatures along the coast. This increase in temperature usually coincides with increases in bacteria levels at many beaches across the state.

Just make sure you know before you go and certainly that you check for the latest updates before you or anyone in your family elects to get into the water. After all, a cookout on the beach can be just as much fun as swimming at the beach, right? Well it can if you know what seasonings to choose.