W.P. Franklin Lock beach on the Caloosahatchee River quietly closed — this time, for good

With no fanfare, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers quietly closed a well-loved Caloosahatchee beach. This week, staff will start sodding over the sand that slopes to the river at the W.P. Franklin Lock and Dam.

Though the swimming area was often barricaded for high fecal bacteria levels, it was Lee County's only official upriver swimming hole, the site of many a kid’s birthday and al fresco wedding.

The Florida Department of Health in Lee County will no longer sample the water there for dangerous bacteria said spokeswoman Tammy Yzaguirre. "If it’s a non-bathing beach, then we wouldn’t be testing."