Swimming to open at Missouri State Parks ahead of Memorial Day weekend
Lake of the Ozarks, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources announced Wednesday that its beaches are set to open for the season on Friday.
Parks with designated beach areas include:
- Lake of the Ozarks
- Lake Wappapello
- Long Branch
- Pomme de Terre
- Stockton
- Harry S. Truman
- Mark Twain
Each week during the swimming season, the department collects water samples from all designated beaches in the state park system.
The samples are used to determine whether or not a beach is suitable for swimming based on the collected bacteria levels.
Visitors can view the weekly data posted on the department's website.
At the same time, the Missouri State Highway Patrol is partnering with Mothers Against Drunk Driving for the groups first boating under the influence prevention campaign.
'Know Before You Boat' is set to kick off Thursday at 10 a.m., with members from both the MSHP and MADD set to speak at the Lake of the Ozarks State Park.
The campaign encourages safe boating and educates boaters about the dangers of boating while impaired.
During the 2021 Memorial Day counting period, the highway patrol reported 12 boating crashes that resulted in three injuries and one death.
Troopers also made eight arrests for boating while intoxicated during that same period.
