A swimming advisory issued Thursday at Turkeyfoot Lake in New Franklin was lifted Friday after a test showed a spike in the water's E. coli count had quickly dissipated.

On Thursday, Portage Lakes State Park Manager Michael Studeny received alarming test results for the bacteria in the lake showing a count more than 600 times the Ohio Department of Health’s threshold for a swimming advisory.

Park personnel immediately placed signage advising swimmers of health risks associated with high E. coli contamination. The test had measured 155,300 colony forming units per 100 milliliters of water. Advisories are given for any result above 235 colony forming units.

“I’ve never seen a number that high,” Studeny said Friday morning.

Out on the Portage Lakes:Brothers ride boat they bought as Akron paperboys in 1950s

Testing is usually conducted every two weeks, but Studeny said the abnormal result couldn’t wait that long for a follow-up test.

“As soon as I saw that, I instructed our maintenance staff… to take another sample,” he said.

Early Friday afternoon, Studeny received new test results showing about 6 colony forming units per 100 ml – well below the ODH threshold for an advisory.

By midafternoon, cautionary signs were being taken from the beach and ODH’s online beach advisory had removed the notice for Turkeyfoot Lake.

Studeny said a combination of high temperatures and rain can produce high E. coli counts.

“Sometimes those numbers do get elevated,” he said.

Mosquito Lake in Trumbull County and several beaches along Lake Erie have also posted high counts. Clifton Beach in Lakewood tested at 461 colony forming units and Edgecliff Beach in Euclid at 2,420 cfu.

Local lake advisories:Dog swim days at Silver Creek Metro Park remain canceled due to algae bloom

Similar advisories for the beach at Turkeyfoot Lake were issued in 2021, 2019, 2018, 2016, 2015 and 2012, according to ODH records. The longest, in 2018, lasted 14 days. Another in 2019 lasted 12 days. The lake is one of several in Portage Lakes State Park.

Studeny said E. coli counts are tested every two weeks and they vary. The highest counts come in the hottest months of July and August. The water is tested from May 30 to September 5.

The park manager said he immediately acted to post the advisories after he learned of the test result on Thursday. Although the signage warns of health risks to swimmers, they aren’t prohibited from swimming.

“We don’t line it off,” he said. “It is the responsibility of the user.”

ODH guidelines recommend that children, the elderly and those in ill health or weakened immune systems avoid swimming when advisories are posted.

Symptoms of an E. coli infection can include severestomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody), and vomiting. In rare cases, an untreated infection can become life-threatening. About 265,000 infections occur each year in the U.S., according to the CDC.

PLX rescue: Man pulled from Turkeyfoot Lake after taking plunge riding four-wheeler

E coli contamination in Turkeyfoot Lake can come from a variety of sources, including failing home sewage treatment systems, according to the Ohio EPA. Water runoff from heavy rains can also contribute to higher e coli counts.

Geese, too, play a significant role, Studeny said, when droppings they make near the beach are washed into the waters during rain storms.

“It’s a series of things,” he said.

The park manager said the public beach at the state park is popular with swimmers, especially as temperatures climb higher. He’s made unofficial counts and it runs into the hundreds.

“I’d say we’re at about 300 to 400 folks and potentially higher,” he said.

A count of vehicles at Portage Lakes State Park’s main entrance in July shows about 2,500 vehicles entered the park on July 9, with a low of 300 on July 17. Most days range between about 500 and 1,750.

Studeny said he had two phone calls on Thursday regarding the high E. coli test and swimming safety. He said he told the callers to use the beach at their own discretion.

On Friday morning, Studeny was still assessing the astronomical number of what might be the worst test result ever.

“I thought maybe there was an error,” he said.

The new result seems to indicate he was right to be skeptical, and it provided a bit of relief for the park manager.

“Especially going into weekend and weather looking like it's going to be pretty good,” he said Friday afternoon. “We’ll probably check it [again] mid-next week."

Leave a message for Alan Ashworth at 330-996-3859 or email him at aashworth@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @newsalanbeaconj or friend him at Alan Newsman on Facebook.