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.
Whatcom County saltwater swimming beaches
We monitored five beaches in Whatcom County weekly from June 1 – Aug. 31, 2020.
Find details about each of the Whatcom County beaches below:
During the 2020 swim season, Birch Bay County Park beach was sampled eight times. Water quality at this beach was very good with bacteria levels meeting swimming standards during all periods sampled.
During the 2020 monitoring season, Blaine Marine Drive Park beach was sampled seven times. This beach had one sampling event with elevated bacteria results. On Aug. 6, results were in the advisory range. This beach met the swimming standard for all other periods sampled.
During the 2020 monitoring season, Larrabee State Park beach was sampled 11 times. This beach had one sampling event with elevated bacteria results. On Aug. 18, results were in the advisory range, but subsequent samples showed bacteria levels dropped into the safe swimming range. Water quality at this beach was good and it met the swimming standard for all other periods sampled.
Little Squalicum beach has consistent low to moderate bacteria levels, with occasional high bacteria spikes. A permanent swimming advisory is in place for this beach. Little Squalicum Park beach was sampled 14 times during the monitoring season.
During the 2020 sampling season, Little Squalicum Park beach had four sampling events that exceeded the safe swimming standards. This beach exceeded EPA’s water quality criteria for both the geometric mean and the statistical threshold value.
Port of Bellingham Marine Park beach was sampled eight times during the 2020 sampling season. Water quality at this beach was excellent with bacteria levels meeting swimming standards during all periods sampled.
Data summary: Bacteria results compared to standards
The chart below summarizes the bacteria levels at Whatcom 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 Whatcom County beaches (in enterococcus per 100 mL) for 2020.
|
Beach
|
GM
|
STV
|
|
Birch Bay County Park Beach
|
13
|
38
|
|
Blaine Marine Drive Park
|
30
|
568
|
|
Larrabee State Park Beach
|
18
|
67
|
|
Little Squalicum Park Beach
|
73
|
768
|
|
Port of Bellingham Marine Park Beach
|
11
|
17
|
|