One Kirkland beach closes due to bacteria as another one reopens
Sep 16, 2026, 1:30 PM
Kirkland's Juanita Beach Park (Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
Kirkland’s Juanita Beach Park is closed to swimmers for at least one week after an alert from Seattle & King County Public Health.
People and pets are advised to stay out of the water due to elevated bacteria levels. The notice shared by the City of Kirkland warned, “the water at this beach could make you sick.”
For a safer place to swim, Houghton Beach has officially reopened for swimming after it closed on Sept. 9.
“Recent water tests have found low bacteria,” the city stated.
Public Health is recommending that people & pets stay out of the water at the swimming areas of Juanita Beach Park for at least one week due to elevated bacteria levels. Signs will be positioned to indicate that the swimming area is closed. The rest of the park remains open. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/5rbiSgSILt
— Kirkland, Washington (@kirklandgov) September 15, 2026
Safety concerns at these beaches have caused frequent closures. Both Juanita and Houghton beaches were closed in August for the same reason.
On Aug. 17, one bacteria sample from Juanita Beach revealed 660 colony-forming units (CFU) per 100 mL of water. It’s more than double what the county said is a safe threshold for swimmers.
To see which beaches are still open and all bacteria levels, King County has a public dashboard.
Follow Michael Strite on X. Read more of his stories here. Submit news tips here.
