News Release

National Park Service Reopens Waters of Portage Lakefront and Little Calumet River

Date: August 22, 2019

The National Park Service reopened the waters to swimming today at the Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk Beach in the Indiana Dunes National Park. It also reopened all of the Little Calumet River within the national park. This decision was made in consultation with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

The reopening is in response to three consecutive days of water testing that indicated cyanide levels well within the US EPA's standards for drinking water. In addition, two of the sampling days indicated no detection of cyanide. US EPA regulations for cyanide in drinking water are 0.2 mg. per liter or 200 parts per billion based on a lifetime of consumption at two liters of water per day. A “no detection” result means samples came back at less than the laboratory detection limit of 0.005 mg per liter. Water sampling was conducted by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and ArcelorMittal. Three independent labs examined and reported the same results. The National Park Service will continue monitoring the ongoing water testing to ensure the health and safety of park visitors.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management has been the lead agency on this incident. For more information on Indiana Dunes National Park, contact the national park’s information desk line at 219-395-1882.