Helen Doria

Managed by Swim Drink Fish Canada - Great Lakes Guide

A hidden gem in the middle of bustling Chicago, Helen Doria Beach offers restrooms and a lifeguard first aid station. There is limited street parking available near the beach, and it is also accessible by public transit - the 96, 147 and 155 buses all stop close by.

The Chicago Park District manages and grooms beaches, including Helen Doria Beach, on a daily basis. Beaches are open 6am to 11pm daily, but swimming is only permitted when lifeguards are on duty from 11am to 7pm each day.

While Helen Doria Beach is currently not monitored for water quality, the Chicago Park District Department of Cultural and Natural Resources does report water quality sample results from the very close by Hartigan Beach, which is within 200-250 yards along the same shoreline. On the Chicago Park District website, the status, swim advisories and swim bans for Helen Doria Beach are posted online based on Hartigan Beach sample results. You can find these and other details on their webpage, at https://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks-facilities/beaches.

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Water Quality

Passed water quality tests 60-95% of the time
Historical Status
This status is based on the latest sample, taken on September 2nd, 2019. Swim Drink Fish Canada - Great Lakes Guide updates the status of this beach as soon as test results become available. These results were posted to Swim Guide on September 5th, 2019 at 9:47 AM.

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Current Weather

-15°C

Cloudy

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Monitoring Frequency

Source Information

Recreational public beaches in Illinois are tested at least once every week, typically from May to September. In popular beach areas such as Chicago, beaches are tested five times per week or even daily. New to 2017, The Chicago Park District Department of Cultural and Natural Resources (DCNR) will be testing for Enterococci instead of culturing live E. coli bacteria cells. Doing so allows for quicker results: DCNR are able to get water quality results back within 3-4 hours instead of the typical 18-24 hours. DCNR then posts same day results for people to see. In the USA, the Environmental Protection Agency has two sets of recommendations for freshwater and marine beaches. A single sample at a freshwater beach should not exceed 235 E. coli / 100 ml of water. A single sample at a marine beach should not exceed 104 Enterococci / 100 ml of water. The geometric mean of 5 samples from a freshwater beach should not exceed 126 E. coli / 100 ml of water. The geometric mean of 5 samples from a marine beach should not exceed 35 Enterococci / 100 ml of water. States may choose to use this standard or they may substitute a standard that is "as protective as" the EPA's recommendation. The Beach Act is the nation's primary beach protection law.

Water Quality Graph