Swimmer’s itch, also called cercarial dermatitis, appears as a skin rash and is caused by an allergic reaction to a parasite that burrows into the lake swimmer’s skin. The main cause of swimmer’s itch is the parasite that is passed to the water from infected animals such as ducks. 

• Please do not feed the ducks; ducks are found in large concentrations near our swimming beaches primarily because of the availability of food. 
• Clean all trash and left-over food before leaving the beach; this also attracts the ducks.

Questions? Contact the City of Lake Stevens Surface Water Department at (425) 622-9442 sfarrant@lakestevenswa.gov or the Snohomish County Health District at http://snohd.org or (425) 339-5200