The Oregon Health Authority's Beach Monitoring Program (OBMP) works with the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to determine beaches that need monitoring based on several established criteria. These criteria include: pollution hazards present; previous beach monitoring data that identify water quality concerns; type and amount of beach use; and public input. Surfrider Foundation Chapters in Oregon were a huge part of advocating for the establishment of this program both at the state and federal level, cause who wants to get sick at the beach!
As part of an adaptive sampling plan, beaches and sampling locations are routinely re-evaluated to ensure available resources best protect public health. If you’ve been following our federal efforts over the past 8 years, you understand that these resources are constantly under threat, through defunding the federal BEACH Act! While Surfrider helped hold the line with federal funding for Oregon (and the rest of the US) in the 2019 budget, it's back on the chopping block again with some other serious funding threats to NOAA and EPA programs - more on that here. This constant funding threat and the limitation of resources for OBMP is yet another reason why our Surfrider Chapters partner to sample many of these beaches year round through our Blue Water Task Force Program.
Based on OBMP’s evaluation criteria, the following list contains the proposed beaches for 2019 monitoring season. A copy of DEQ’s beach evaluation is available upon request:
• Seaside Beach, Clatsop County
• Cannon Beach, Clatsop County
• Tolovana State Park Beach, Clatsop County
• Short Sand State Park Beach, Tillamook County
• Rockaway Beach, Tillamook County
• Twins Rocks Beach, Tillamook County
• Neskowin State Park Beach, Tillamook County
• D River State Park Beach, Lincoln County
• Beverly Beach, Lincoln County
• Agate State Park Beach, Lincoln County
• Nye Beach, Lincoln County
• Seal Rock State Park Beach, Lincoln County
• Heceta Beach, Lane County
• Bastendorff Beach, Coos County
• Sunset Bay State Park Beach, Coos County
• Hubbard Creek Beach, Curry County
• Harris Beach State Park, Curry County
• Mill Beach, Curry County
The proposed list includes some of the most frequently visited beaches in Oregon, as well as beaches where the program has found bacteria present, or beaches for which local partners (like our Surfrider Chapters!) and the public have requested monitoring due to potential pollution concerns - so this is your chance to pipe up for your local beach!
OBMP will accept public comments and suggestions on the proposed 2019 beaches through May 17, 2019. Contact OBMP by email at Beach.Health@state.or.us or call 971-673-0400 to submit input.
