Skagit County annual BEACH report

We monitor Bay View State Park beach in Skagit County where water quality has been compromised for several years.

From 2011 through 2015, the beach failed to meet recreational swimming standards. Skagit County has been able to find and fix sources of pollution to the bay, improving overall water quality.

Bay View State Park in Skagit County

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 2018, we sampled 62 public high-use beaches statewide, either weekly or biweekly, for enterococcus, a type of fecal bacteria. High enterococcus levels are linked to swimmer illness.

Skagit County saltwater swimming beach

We monitored Bay View State Park beach weekly from May 21 through Aug. 31, 2018:

Bay View State Park

During the 2018 swim season, Bay View State Park had two sampling events with elevated bacteria results. On June 26 and July 2 results were in the advisory range, but subsequent sampled showed bacteria levels dropped into the safe swimming range. Bay View State Park beach met the swimming standard for all other periods sampled. Water quality at this beach improved from the 2017 sampling season.

From 2011 through 2015, Bay View State Park beach exceeded the recreational swimming standards for bacteria. Between the 2105 and 2016 monitoring seasons, Skagit County Pollution Identification and Correction Program made an effort to find and fix sources of pollution in the town of Bay View. Water quality at Bay View State Park improved.

Data summary: Bacteria results compared to standards

The chart below summarizes the bacteria levels at Skagit 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 35 and the statistical threshold value of enterococcus/100 mL is greater than or equal to 276. We issue a public swimming advisory when enterococcus levels reach 104 per 100 mL of water.

Table: Calculated geometric mean and statistical threshold value at Bay View State Park beach (in enterococcus per 100 mL) for 2018

Beach	Geometric Mean	Statistical Threshold Value
Bay View State Park	14	45

Contact information

Contact BEACH: Reach BEACH staff, sign up for the listserv, or follow us on social-media platforms.