• UW Sea Grant Project - Cladophora Effects on Public Health and Beach Closures in Lake Michigan
• Beach Water Quality and Microbial Pathogen Detection*
• Indoor Air Quality
• Microbial Food Testing
• Antimicrobial Testing
• County Well Testing Program
• Environmental Health Tracking
• Microbial Air Emissions from Biofilters
• Manufactured Gas Plant Solid Waste Recycling
• Biofiltration of alpha pinene
• *Featured Project

• Water Testing Services
• Mold Remediation

• Lab Personnel

Beach Monitoring

Beach Closure sign used by the WI DNR and BEACH Act program in WI


Boardwalk to Big Bay State Park- Madeline Island, WI (Apostle Islands National Lakeshore)


Left: A typical Beach Closure sign from Ashalnd, WI.


The Warning sign to the beach goers at Big Bay Town Park on Madeline Island, WI.



Currently, we have several projects on-going investigating microbial beach water quality issues. Specifically, we are collecting data as a part of a larger project to assess the overall health of several beaches along Lake Superior (Wisconsin). We are investigating the effects of rainfall on short-term water quality in terms of indicator organisms such as E.coli or Enterococci. In addition to spatial sampling and specific beach investigations, we are using antibiotic sensitivity and genetic testing (repPCR) to evaluate sources of E.coli contamination at select locations.

Bayfield,WI:

Cladogram of E.coli isolates compared using repPCR (BOXA1 primers)

Project Locations

• Door County, Wisconsin
• Lake Superior, Region of Wisconsin
• Vilas County, Wisconsin
• Menominee Park Beach, Oshkosh Wisconsin
• Select locations in Gogebic and Ontonogan Counties, MI

A view of the Bailey's Harbor Ridges Watershed and Beach area in Door County, WI


For specifics on projects please e-mail Dr. Greg Kleinheinz