Monday is the last day of beach season in Chicago. Beach closures and swim advisories were up this summer, compared to recent years.
Restrictions on swimming due to pollution were the highest in three years. Across Chicago’s two dozen lakefront beaches, swimmers were barred from or cautioned about the water a total of 280 days, added together.
But that total is just slightly above the five average. That’s according to a WBEZ analysis of data from the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Four of the five hardest-hit beaches this summer are on the South Side.
South Shore Beach had a closure or advisory in effect for 27 days, the most in the city. Just one beach, Hartigan Beach, on the far-North Side, has an advisory today. The beaches close to swimming at 7:00 evening, and will remain closed through next spring.
See data on closures and advisories from the Illinois Department of Public Health.