Recreational Water Quality Sites for 2011
2011 Recreation Water Quality Monitoring

From April 1-October 31st each year, the County of Marin Environmental Health Services conducts weekly monitoring at selected sites (see map at right)where water-contact recreation is common. This "beach" monitoring program provides advisories to the public when the results of bacteria testing indicates levels do not meet contact recreation standards. There are signs posted at sampling locations, and advisory signs are posted when warranted.

In an effort to provide this information to the public in a convenient and timely manner, the Tomales Bay Watershed Council will be maintaining this web-page to provide weekly notification of advisory conditions at local beaches throughout the 2011 season. The Advisory Table below shows the weekly advisory condition of each site. Conditions will be updated weekly when lab results become available.

Please check back for the most current advisory conditions, or call the County of Marin Beach WQ Hotline at 415-473-2335.

Advisory categories will follow the County of Marin Environmental Health Services, Beach Monitoring Program Bacteria Limits for Contact Recreation (See table below). Samples are collected by the County of Marin EHS staff at all sites except Chicken Ranch Beach where samples are collected either by the County or by a Council representative. Prior to May 23rd, samples from Chicken Ranch Beach, were analyzed at a National Park Service Lab.

All samples are analyzed at the Public Health Lab in San Rafael. Samples from all sites are analyzed using IDEXX Quanti-Tray (SM9223B). The test quantifies the most-probable number of Total Coliform bacteria and E. coli in the sample. All samples are also analyzed for Enterococcus bacteria which is a better indicator for marine waters. All of these bacteria are used as indicators of the potential presence of other pathogenic bacteria that are linked to human illness. These advisories are provided for information purposes only, based on one sample per week, and so, do not imply up-to-the-minute conditions.

Current Water Quality Advisory Conditions at Local Recreation Sites

Bacteria Limits for Contact Recreational Use