The beach at Beltzville State Park in Lehighton has been closed after high bacteria counts were found in water samples.

According to a press release by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), water samples were taken on Monday, Aug. 5 and found to have a high bacteria count. The beach was closed Tuesday evening.The beach will remain closed as a precaution until acceptable water sample results are received.Last year, the beach was closed in June because of high bacteria counts.The high bacteria levels also closed the park in the summer of 2011.Signs are posted on the beach warning swimmers of the closing.Other activities such as fishing, boating and hiking remain open to the public.Attempts to contact park officials for more information this morning were unsuccessful.This is the second interruption to recreational activities this year at Beltzville Lake.Last month, fishing from boats was halted for about a week because of a drowning.Regarding bacteria counts, generally the levels show a reduction after just a few days.