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The Oregon Health Authority is accepting feedback for the 2026 and 2027 monitoring seasons of the Oregon Beach Monitoring Program now through October 31. Ocean recreational users like surfers and swimmer as well as beachgoers that regularly come in contact with water depend on such water quality monitoring programs to alert the public when bacteria levels indicate a potential health risk. Individuals are encouraged to provide feedback on the list of proposed sites through the program's website - public notice and feedback form here.
Oregonians love their beaches and surf and staying healthy at the beach is something critical and core to all of our Surfrider Foundation Chapters in Oregon - no one should get sick from a day at the beach or in the surf. So nearly a decade before the Oregon Health Authority established the state's official beach monitoring program, Surfrider initiated a Blue Water Task Force Program to conduct our own volunteer water quality monitoring. Over the years, our Blue Water Task Force Program's (BWTF), data and recreational use information dating back to the 90s has helped shape the State's program, in many cases informing where and what sites exist today.
A sample of water quality from Battle Rock Beach in Port Orford Oregon, from one of our Blue Water Task Force volunteer programs.
Not only that, Surfrider chapters in Oregon have continued to advocate for the federal funding (BEACH Act) that funds the very existence of the state's Oregon Beach Monitoring Program (OBMP)..so much so that Senator Wyden is leading the reauthorization and dear colleague efforts in Congress. AND, not only that, when actually comes to addressing bacteria sources at the local level, our Surfrider volunteers and chapter are often the front line working in communities to actually source and solve local water quality pollution issues.
Oregon Beach Monitoring Program Proposed Beaches
Oregon Health Authority and the Dept. of Environmental Quality routinely reevaluate beach use and sampling locations to expend available resources most effectively toward public health protection. The proposed list includes some of the most frequently visited beaches in Oregon, beaches where the program has previously found bacteria, or beaches for which local partners and the public have requested monitoring due to potential pollution concerns. Based on OBMP’s evaluation criteria, OHA and DEQ propose sampling the following beaches for the 2026/2027 monitoring season:
Note - multiple monitoring sites exist for each beach below, click on link to view sites on a map.
Clatsop County
- SEASIDE BEACH* – Seaside
- CANNON BEACH – Cannon Beach
- TOLOVANA SP BEACH – Cannon Beach
Coos County
- BASTENDORFF BEACH – Coos Bay
- SUNSET BAY SP BEACH – Coos Bay
Curry County
- HUBBARD CREEK BEACH – Port Orford
- HARRIS BEACH SP – Brookings
- MILL BEACH – Brookings
- CRISSEY FIELD STATE RECREATION SITE* – Brookings
Lane County
- HECETA BEACH – Florence
Lincoln County
- D RIVER SP BEACH* – Lincoln City
- BEVERLY BEACH – Newport
- AGATE SP BEACH – Newport
- NYE BEACH – Newport
- SEAL ROCK SP BEACH – Seal Rock
- SILETZ BAY* – Lincoln City
- ONA BEACH – Beaver Creek State Natural Area, Brian Booth State Park
Tillamook County
- SHORT SAND BEACH – Arch Cape
- MANZANITA BEACH – Manzanita
- ROCKAWAY BEACH* – Rockaway
- TWIN ROCKS BEACH* – Twin Rocks
- OCEANSIDE* – Oceanside
- CAPE KIWANDA* – Pacific City
- NESKOWIN BEACH STATE RECREATION SITE* – Neskowin
Contact OBMP by submitting comments at https://forms.office.com/g/GLxXuvsgVu.
For more information about OBMP, visit the program website at http://www.healthoregon.org/beach or call 971-673-0440, or call OHA toll-free information line at 877-290-6767.