Summer fun is being stifled in a MidMichigan community.
Health concerns over the quality of water forces local agencies to shut down beaches.
Residents are frustrated. They'd like to be able to enjoy the water, but in Bay County, it's been pretty much a beach-less summer.
Friday, the beach volleyball area at the Bay City State Park was empty.
Barren beaches have been left untouched for several days as e-coli levels closed several of them down throughout the summer.
"It's a shame," says Bangor Township resident B.J. Schwartz.
The beaches are one of the reasons why many people live in Bay County, but they've been kept away.
One of the bright spots is Bay City State Park's "Play by the Park" splash pad, which opened Friday morning.
"I like to go swimming here and play with my cousins," says Haylee Jade.
"It was fun," says Makenna Korte on the first day of the splash pad.
It's a nice addition considering all the subtractions.
"The beaches have been closed. They're really aren't too many places to swim around here. This is a great place for these kids. They love it," says Bay City mother Kayla Williams.
"Hopefully, some day we can find a solution to that, and I know they're looking into that, but as of right now it's still an issue we have to confront ourselves with," says Schwartz.
E-coli is just one of the problems. Residents say muck this year has been worse than previous years.
