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December 21, 2023

Media Contact: Jonathan Modie, 971-246-9139, PHD.Communications@oha.oregon.gov

OHA, DEQ announce Oregon beaches to be monitored for bacteria in 2024/2025

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Oregon Beach Monitoring Program (OBMP) has finalized a list of beaches to be monitored for unsafe levels of bacteria during the 2024 and 2025 monitoring seasons.

The list was created based on established criteria, including high recreational use, nearby pollution hazards, previously measured high bacteria levels, and public input.

OBMP is a joint effort between Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to monitor the waters along Oregon's coastline for the presence of fecal bacteria and report elevated levels to the public. Through this program, DEQ regularly samples and tests marine water and freshwater at about 20 beaches along Oregon’s 360 miles of coastline between May and September. To protect public health, OHA issues advisories at beaches where bacteria levels are found to be unsafe.

OHA and DEQ re-evaluate beaches and sampling locations every two years to ensure available resources best protect public health. The proposed list includes some of the most frequently visited beaches in Oregon; beaches where the program has previously found bacteria; and beaches for which local partners and the public have requested monitoring due to pollution concerns.

To view a video about the updated beach monitoring list for 2024/2025, click here.

This year, in addition to the criteria listed above, DEQ used the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) environmental justice screening tool to assess the potential for the OBMP efforts to benefit vulnerable and underserved populations. Based on OBMP’s evaluation criteria, preliminary environmental justice screening and input from public comments, OHA and DEQ selected the following beaches for the 2024/2025 monitoring season:

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 RECREATION SITE* – Brookings (new for 2024/2025)

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 (new for 2024/2025)
• ONA BEACH -- Brian Booth – Beaver Creek State Park (new for 2024/2025)

Tillamook County

• SHORT SAND SP BEACH – Arch Cape
• MANZANITA BEACH – Manzanita
• ROCKAWAY BEACH* – Rockaway
• TWINS ROCKS BEACH* – Twin Rocks
• OCEANSIDE* – Oceanside
• CAPE KIWANDA* – Pacific City
• NESKOWIN SP BEACH* – Neskowin

Note: Beaches marked with an asterisk (*) refer to those with potential environmental justice communities that may be likely to recreate at the beach.

To add beaches to the sampling list and continue operating within available OBMP resources, DEQ may reduce the number of sampling locations or frequency of sampling at certain beaches. Only sampling locations where historical data show low risk would be removed.

A copy of DEQ’s beach evaluation is available upon request.

For more information about OBMP, visit the program website at http://www.healthoregon.org/beach or call 971-673-0440. People can also call OHA’s toll-free information line, 877-290-6767.

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