WA state’s annual report on public marine beach safety is in. How did Thurston County do?
Washington state’s annual assessment of the water safety at public marine beach areas is in — and there’s good news for most of the 59 beaches sampled during the 2022 season.
The Beach Environmental Assessment, Communication & Health program, or BEACH, found that 91.5 percent of marine beaches sampled in 2022 were at passing levels for safety. That represents a 14.5% improvement from 2021, one of the worst years on record. In fact, 2015 was the last time that safety levels were as poor.
BEACH monitors and checks for fecal matter to ensure safe swimming levels. Fecal matter can come from dogs, humans, seagulls and seals. The areas being monitored are sampled repeatedly between Memorial Day and Labor Day every year.
People who are kayaking, swimming, scuba diving or windsurfing can get sick with ailments like a skin rash, gastroenteritis, upper respiratory infections and other illnesses if the water has an unsafe level of fecal matter.
A beach with unsafe levels can be also be a risk for people who are just walking along the shore beachcombing or shellfishing. There’s an even greater risk for children and people who are immunocompromised. Pets can also be affected.
The BEACH program is run under the Washington State Department of Ecology, and monitors marine water for swimming and playing through partnerships with counties and local partners like the Surfrider Foundation.
The BEACH annual report evaluates the previous year of sampling for safe levels of fecal matter. The sampled beaches from the 2022 report are in 12 counties throughout the state, including Pierce, Thurston, King and Whatcom counties.
A beach is considered passing if it has no more than one sampling event that exceeds the swimming standard.
How do you know if a marine beach is safe?
Aside from minding warning signs that are posted when testing levels say a beach isn’t safe, it’s recommended to check the BEACH monitoring website’s interactive map for updates.
Places with a closure are marked in red, caution areas are yellow and locations that are safe are marked in green.
When you’re at a beach and coming into contact with sand and water, even if you aren’t swimming, it’s recommended to keep your hands washed, especially if you are eating or drinking.
How did Thurston County beaches do in 2022?
Thurston County is home to two marine beach areas that were monitored by Ecology’s BEACH program in 2022. Thurston County Public Health and Social Services monitored Burfoot County Park, and Squaxin Park was sampled by Surfrider volunteers.
A public swimming advisory is issued when enterococcus (fecal matter) levels exceed 104 per 100 mL of water.
Here are the reports on each area:
Burfoot Park’s 1,100 feet of saltwater beach and water access to Budd Inlet are part of the sprawling 65-acre property that includes a playground, nature trails and picnic spots with barbecues. There were 15 samples taken of the marine area at Burfoot Park in the 2022 sampling season, with “excellent” results for all sample periods.
Formerly known as Priest Point Park, Squaxin Park is home to 314 acres of trails and forested areas that includes a one-mile-long saltwater beachfront where you can see views of downtown Olympia and the state capitol buildings.
During the 2022 sampling season, Squaxin Park beach was monitored by volunteers from the Surfrider Foundation. They sampled the beach 14 times, and on August 14 the results exceeded a safe swimming standard. The park has a permanent swim advisory due to its proximity to outfall from a sewage treatment plant, so a warning sign was already in place. Surfrider volunteers found that the beach met safe swim standards for the other 13 periods it was sampled.
