| swimming beach monitoring
The Kitsap County Health District monitors swimming beaches or other
public access areas on 17 lakes in Kitsap County. In addition, the
Health District monitors various marine swimming beaches in Kitsap
County as part of the Washington State Department of Ecology’s
Beach Environmental Assessment & Community Health Program (BEACH).
Click
here for current swimming beach closures and
lake advisories.
Most of the public swimming beaches are located in public parks.
During the summer, these parks and swimming beaches are visited
by thousands of people. The goal of the Swimming Beach Monitoring
Program is to protect the health and safety of recreational swimmers.
Lake swimming beaches and/or public fishing access areas are monitored
monthly at minimum for levels of E. coli bacteria between May and
September. Sample results are compared with a federal standard to
determine if a beach can remain "open" for swimming.
Monthly monitoring is conducted at Symington, Tahuyeh, Panther,
Tiger, Mission, Square, Wye, Carney, and Wicks Lakes. Selected lakes
are monitored weekly due to higher water exposure values or a history
of more frequent water quality problems. These lakes include: Buck,
Wildcat, Island, Kitsap, Horseshoe, and Long Lake.
Marine swimming beaches are monitored on a weekly basis in the summer
months for levels of enterococcus bacteria. Sample results are compared
with state standards to determine if a beach can remain "open"
for swimming. These beaches are located at Pomeroy Park - Manchester,
Evergreen Park, Lions Park, Illahee State Park, Silverdale Waterfront
Park, Eagle Harbor Waterfront Park, Fay Bainbridge State Park, Indianola
Dock, and Arness County Park.
Click
here for more information on Ecology's Marine BEACH Program.
Click
here for a list of swimming areas currently monitored.
For more information on the Health District's
Swimming Beach Monitoring Program, please contact Jim Zimny at (360)
337-5623 or email
Jim at zimnyj@health.co.kitsap.wa.us.
You may also contact the Water Quality Program
at (360) 337-5245.
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