Beach Sanitary Surveys

In 2010, the Bay-Lake Regional Planning Commission was the successful applicant of a grant through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) to conduct sanitary surveys at 19 beaches throughout Northeast Wisconsin to determine factors that result in beach contamination and to identify methods to mitigate those issues.

As part of this project, preliminary and final construction plans for up to 10 beaches will be prepared aimed at minimizing the stormwater and pollutants from entering these beaches. The designs will be based on the sanitary survey (and other) data collected at these locations.The final construction plans will include recommendatins for designs and processes to reduce the amount of E. coli and other contaminants found in stormwater discharge from entering the beach in order to improve the overall water quality at these beaches.

Radio Interview about the Beach Sanitary Survey Project

Conducted on March 7, 2010 in Marinette with Dr. Kleinheinz with UW-Oshkosh by Ken Conner, News Director with Bay Cities Radio

BEACHES IN THE PROJECT AREA:

• City of Marinette: Red Arrow Park
• City of Algoma: Crescent Beach, and Marina Basin Beach
• City of Kewaunee: Father Marquette Memorial Park, Pioneer Park, and Selner Park
• City of Two Rivers: Neshotah Beach, Neshotah South (just north of river channel), South Beach, and Memorial Drive North
• City of Manitowoc: Red Arrow Beach, Marina Beach (aka Blue Rail), and Silver Creek Beach
• Manitowoc County: Lakefront Beach (at Point Beach State Park), and Hika Bay (in Cleveland)
• City of Sheboygan: Deland Park, Blue Harbor Area Beach, King Park, and Lakeview Park

Click here for a Map of beaches in the project area

POST SUMMER BEACH SAMPLING REPORT

The 2011 sample season for the 19 beaches included in the Commission's GLRI beach project began on May 31, 2011 and extended through the week of August 15th. The beaches were sampled for E. coli three days a week with a biweekly alteration of water sampling and sand sampling.

Water samples were collected at a depth of 12", 24", and 48" at the left, center, and right of the beach. Sand samples were collected upshore, at swashzones, and at 24" of depth at the left, center, and right of the beach. Along with the samples, daily sanitary surveys were conducted three days a week, each week for the 10 weeks of sampling.

The daily sanitary survey records parameters such as wind speed and direction, wave height, current speed and direction, weather conditions, turbidity, physical observations of debris on the beach, algae on the beach and in the water, water fowl, and bather load. The data from the daily sanitary surveys will be correlated with E. coli levels from both sand and water to determine if any of these physical/chemical parameters are influencing E. coli levels at the beach.

Additional sampling was done after or during rain events of greater than one-quarter inch of rain; and investigative samples were taken at stormwater outfalls to determine E. coli levels from urban stormwater runoff at select beaches where stormwater was a potential contaminant.

An average of over 285 samples were collected at each of the 19 beaches for spatial sand, water samples, and stormwater outfalls/tributaries. This totals to approximately 5,400 bacterial samples collected for the project over the summer! The sampling data is currently being analyzed for each beach in order to make more accurate determinations about any potential contamination sources.

In addition to the routine sanitary survey, annual sanitary surveys were conducted at each beach. Annual sanitary surveys include taking measurements of the beach, conducting land use and topography assessments, recording physical characteristics of the beach, sand particle analyses, and a sampling data summary from the previous season. Preliminary assessments of each beach were conducted to identify potential sources of contamination, acquire photographs, and develop initial suggestions for mitigation.

Further conclusions will be made once the 2011 sampling data has been fully analyzed. Conclusions so far have ranged from possible infrastructure modifications and beach nourishment to redefining a beach location. Another sampling season will be needed at most of the beaches to ensure a good, reliable data set exists before solid conclusions can be made. Sampling will begin again in spring/summer 2012 at each of the beaches.

The table shows the number of samples collected and preliminary averages of E. coli in water sampled at a depth of 24" at the center of the beach for the 2011 sample season.

PUBLIC MEETINGS

The Bay-Lake Regional Planning Commission has scheduled public meetings to provide information and answer questions about beach assessments in the cities of Algoma, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Marinette, Sheboygan, and Two Rivers.

The Commission is working with the University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh and the City of Racine to gather sampling data at area beaches and recommend improvements.

The project will provide the coastal communities with the guidance and tools necessary for them to maintain healthy and desirable beaches.

Public Informational Meetings

March 13, 2012 - Algoma and Kewaunee - 5:00 - 7:00 PM

City Hall - Council Chambers, 416 Fremont St., Algoma (Public Notice)

Past Meetings

March 30, 2011 - Algoma and Kewaunee - 4:00 - 6:00 PM

City Hall - Council Chambers, 416 Fremont St. (Public Notice)

For more information on the beach surveys project, please contact: