Keeping beaches safe
The Beach Environmental Assessment, Communication & Health (BEACH) Program ensures that marine water is safe to swim and play in and informs the public if water doesn't meet swimming standards.
From Memorial Day through Labor Day in 2020, we sampled 63 public high-use beaches statewide, either weekly or biweekly, for enterococcus, a type of fecal bacteria. High enterococcus levels are linked to swimmer illness.
Pierce County saltwater swimming beaches
We monitored nine beaches in Pierce County from June 1 – Aug. 31, 2020. All beaches were sampled weekly.
Find details about each of the Pierce County beaches below:
Dash Point Metro Park beach was sampled 14 times during the 2020 sampling period. Water quality at this beach was very good with bacterial levels meeting the swimming standards during all periods sampled.
A shoreline survey was conducted at this beach on March 10, 2020.
Jack Hyde Park beach was sampled 14 times during the 2020 sampling season. Water quality at this beach was very good and met the swimming standard for all periods sampled.
During the 2020 monitoring season, Kopachuck State Park beach was sampled 14 times. This beach had excellent water quality and met the swimming standard for all periods sampled.
During the 2020 monitoring season, Owen Beach at Point Defiance Park was sampled 14 times. This beach had excellent water quality, meeting the swimming standard for all periods sampled.
During the 2020 monitoring season, Penrose Point State Park beach was sampled 14 times. This beach had excellent water quality and met the swimming standard for all periods sampled.
During the 2020 monitoring season, Purdy Sandspit County Park beach was sampled 14 times. This beach had excellent water quality, meeting the swimming standards for all periods sampled.
During the 2020 monitoring season, Ruston Way Waterfront Park beach was sampled 14 times. This beach had very good water quality, meeting the swimming standard during all periods sampled.
Although water quality sampling results were good during the sampling season, this beach was preemptively closed to water recreation due to a broken sewer line upland from the beach from May 27 – July 22.
Sunnyside Beach Park was sampled 13 times during the 2020 sampling season. This beach had excellent water quality, meeting the swimming standard for all periods sampled.
Titlow Park beach was sampled 14 times during the 2020 sampling season. This beach had very good water quality, meeting the swimming standard during all periods sampled.
A shoreline survey was conducted at this beach on March 10, 2020.
Data summary: Bacteria results compared to standards
The chart below summarizes the bacteria levels at Pierce County beaches in relation to the EPA swimming standard or saltwater swimming criteria. Beaches are considered unsafe for swimming when the geometric mean of enterococcus/100 mL of water is greater than or equal to 30 and the statistical threshold value of enterococcus/100 mL is greater than or equal to 110. We issue a public swimming advisory when enterococcus levels exceed 104 per 100 mL of water.
Table: Calculated geometric mean and statistical threshold value at Pierce County beaches (in enterococcus per 100 mL) for 2020.
|
Beach
|
GM
|
STV
|
|
Dash Point Metro Park
|
13
|
33
|
|
Jack Hyde Park
|
17
|
35
|
|
Kopachuck State Park
|
<10
|
11
|
|
Owen Beach/ Point Defiance Park
|
<10
|
<10
|
|
Penrose Point State Park
|
<10
|
<10
|
|
Purdy Sandspit County Park
|
10
|
13
|
|
Sunnyside Beach Park
|
10
|
12
|
|
Titlow Park
|
27
|
87
|
|
Waterfront Dock/ Ruston Way
|
11
|
19
|
|