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‘Fecal bacteria’ closes Lake Mead hot spring, trail

A man climbs a ladder at the Arizona Hot Spring in Lake Mead National Recreation area. Arizona Hot Spring is a hiking trail that leads to a natural geothermal hot spring near the banks of the Colorado River.
National Park Service
A man climbs a ladder at the Arizona Hot Spring in Lake Mead National Recreation area. Arizona Hot Spring is a hiking trail that leads to a natural geothermal hot spring near the banks of the Colorado River.

A hot spring in Lake Mead National Recreation Area is closed after the National Park Service says high levels of “fecal bacteria” were found in the water.

The contamination was identified in the Arizona Hot Springs. The Arizona Hot Springs trail and the White Rock Canyon parking lot off US-93 are closed as a result.

Officials will attempt to improve the water quality in the coming days with methods like sandbag removal.

They plan to reopen the Arizona Hot Springs once the water quality meets federal and state safety standards.

The park service offered a reminder to practice good hygiene when in open water as well as to follow leave-no-trace principles, like packing out trash and human waste.