Description of beach closures:
Beach closures are the number of days when beach water and/or air quality is determined to be unsafe. Unsafe water and air quality may have significant impacts on human health, local economies, and the ecosystem. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) supports coastal states, counties and and tribes in monitoring beach water quality, and notifying the public when beaches must be closed. Beach water quality is determined by the concentration of bacteria in the water (either Enterococcus sp.or Escherichia coli).
The information presented is from states, counties, and tribes that submit data to the EPA Beach Program reporting database. Not all US beach closures are captured in this database. We present a summary of known EPA Beach Program closure days by year for Alaska, California Current, Gulf of Mexico, Northeast, Hawai’ian Islands, and the Southeast regions.
Data sources and analysis:
Data obtained from the EPA BEACON website have been provided to EPA by the coastal and Great Lakes states, tribes and territories that receive grants under the BEACH Act. Data was refined to closure, by state or territory, by year. Data that were not identified to a water body or identified as inland water were not included. Data compiled by states or territory and combined in regions defined as IEA regions except PI includes Guam and Marianas. Caribbean and South Atlantic data stand alone. Not all beaches in a state or territory are monitored through the EPA BEACH Act. Data for beaches monitored by state and local municipalities is not included. Changes in the number of beach closure days may be driven by changes in the number of beaches monitored under the BEACH Act versus by state and local municipalities.
Hawaii-Pacific Islands
Interpretation of time series:
Trend analysis was not appropriate for BEACH Act data.
Interpretation of gauge:
A gauge was not appropriate for this data.
Description of beach closure:
Beach closures are the number of days when beach water and/or air quality is determined to be unsafe. Unsafe water and air quality may have significant impacts on human health, local economies, and the ecosystem. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) supports coastal states, counties and and tribes in monitoring beach water quality, and notifying the public when beaches must be closed. Beach water quality is determined by the concentration of bacteria in the water (either Enterococcus sp.or Escherichia coli).
The information presented is from states, counties, and tribes that submit data to the EPA Beach Program reporting database. Not all US beach closures are captured in this database. We present a summary of known EPA Beach Program closure days by year for Alaska, California Current, Gulf of Mexico, Northeast, Hawai’ian Islands, and the Southeast regions..
Gauge values
- 0 - 10: The five-year beach closure days average is very low compared to the median value.
- 10 - 25: The five-year beach closure days average is much lower than the median value.
- 25 - 50: The five-year beach closure days average is lower than the median value.
- 50: The five-year beach closure days average equals the median value.
- 50 - 75: The five-year beach closure days average is higher than the median value.
- 75 - 90: The five-year beach closure days average is much higher than the median value.
- 90 - 100: The five-year beach closure days average is very high compared to the median
Source and analysis of data:
Data obtained from the EPA BEACON website have been provided to EPA by the coastal and Great Lakes states, tribes and territories that receive grants under the BEACH Act. Data was refined to closure, by state or territory, by year. Data that were not identified to a water body or identified as inland water were not included. Data compiled by states or territory and combined in regions defined as IEA regions except PI includes Guam and Marianas. Caribbean and South Atlantic data stand alone. Not all beaches in a state or territory are monitored through the EPA BEACH Act. Data for beaches monitored by state and local municipalities is not included. Changes in the number of beach closure days may be driven by changes in the number of beaches monitored under the BEACH Act versus by state and local municipalities.
California Current
Interpretation of time series:
Trend analysis was not appropriate for BEACH Act data.
Interpretation of gauge:
A gauge was not appropriate for this data.
Description of beach closure:
Beach closures are the number of days when beach water and/or air quality is determined to be unsafe. Unsafe water and air quality may have significant impacts on human health, local economies, and the ecosystem. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) supports coastal states, counties and and tribes in monitoring beach water quality, and notifying the public when beaches must be closed. Beach water quality is determined by the concentration of bacteria in the water (either Enterococcus sp.or Escherichia coli).
The information presented is from states, counties, and tribes that submit data to the EPA Beach Program reporting database. Not all US beach closures are captured in this database. We present a summary of known EPA Beach Program closure days by year for Alaska, California Current, Gulf of Mexico, Northeast, Hawai’ian Islands, and the Southeast regions..
Gauge values
- 0 - 10: The five-year beach closure days average is very low compared to the median value.
- 10 - 25: The five-year beach closure days average is much lower than the median value.
- 25 - 50: The five-year beach closure days average is lower than the median value.
- 50: The five-year beach closure days average equals the median value.
- 50 - 75: The five-year beach closure days average is higher than the median value.
- 75 - 90: The five-year beach closure days average is much higher than the median value.
- 90 - 100: The five-year beach closure days average is very high compared to the median
Source and analysis of data:
Data obtained from the EPA BEACON website have been provided to EPA by the coastal and Great Lakes states, tribes and territories that receive grants under the BEACH Act. Data was refined to closure, by state or territory, by year. Data that were not identified to a water body or identified as inland water were not included. Data compiled by states or territory and combined in regions defined as IEA regions except PI includes Guam and Marianas. Caribbean and South Atlantic data stand alone. Not all beaches in a state or territory are monitored through the EPA BEACH Act. Data for beaches monitored by state and local municipalities is not included. Changes in the number of beach closure days may be driven by changes in the number of beaches monitored under the BEACH Act versus by state and local municipalities.
Gulf of Mexico
Interpretation of time series:
Trend analysis was not appropriate for BEACH Act data.
Interpretation of gauge:
A gauge was not appropriate for this data.
Description of beach closure:
Beach closures are the number of days when beach water and/or air quality is determined to be unsafe. Unsafe water and air quality may have significant impacts on human health, local economies, and the ecosystem. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) supports coastal states, counties and and tribes in monitoring beach water quality, and notifying the public when beaches must be closed. Beach water quality is determined by the concentration of bacteria in the water (either Enterococcus sp.or Escherichia coli).
The information presented is from states, counties, and tribes that submit data to the EPA Beach Program reporting database. Not all US beach closures are captured in this database. We present a summary of known EPA Beach Program closure days by year for Alaska, California Current, Gulf of Mexico, Northeast, Hawai’ian Islands, and the Southeast regions..
Gauge values
- 0 - 10: The five-year beach closure days average is very low compared to the median value.
- 10 - 25: The five-year beach closure days average is much lower than the median value.
- 25 - 50: The five-year beach closure days average is lower than the median value.
- 50: The five-year beach closure days average equals the median value.
- 50 - 75: The five-year beach closure days average is higher than the median value.
- 75 - 90: The five-year beach closure days average is much higher than the median value.
- 90 - 100: The five-year beach closure days average is very high compared to the median
Source and analysis of data:
Data obtained from the EPA BEACON website have been provided to EPA by the coastal and Great Lakes states, tribes and territories that receive grants under the BEACH Act. Data was refined to closure, by state or territory, by year. Data that were not identified to a water body or identified as inland water were not included. Data compiled by states or territory and combined in regions defined as IEA regions except PI includes Guam and Marianas. Caribbean and South Atlantic data stand alone. Not all beaches in a state or territory are monitored through the EPA BEACH Act. Data for beaches monitored by state and local municipalities is not included. Changes in the number of beach closure days may be driven by changes in the number of beaches monitored under the BEACH Act versus by state and local municipalities.
Northeast US
Interpretation of time series:
Trend analysis was not appropriate for BEACH Act data.
Interpretation of gauge:
A gauge was not appropriate for this data.
Description of beach closure:
Beach closures are the number of days when beach water and/or air quality is determined to be unsafe. Unsafe water and air quality may have significant impacts on human health, local economies, and the ecosystem. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) supports coastal states, counties and and tribes in monitoring beach water quality, and notifying the public when beaches must be closed. Beach water quality is determined by the concentration of bacteria in the water (either Enterococcus sp.or Escherichia coli).
The information presented is from states, counties, and tribes that submit data to the EPA Beach Program reporting database. Not all US beach closures are captured in this database. We present a summary of known EPA Beach Program closure days by year for Alaska, California Current, Gulf of Mexico, Northeast, Hawai’ian Islands, and the Southeast regions..
Gauge values
- 0 - 10: The five-year beach closure days average is very low compared to the median value.
- 10 - 25: The five-year beach closure days average is much lower than the median value.
- 25 - 50: The five-year beach closure days average is lower than the median value.
- 50: The five-year beach closure days average equals the median value.
- 50 - 75: The five-year beach closure days average is higher than the median value.
- 75 - 90: The five-year beach closure days average is much higher than the median value.
- 90 - 100: The five-year beach closure days average is very high compared to the median
Source and analysis of data:
Data obtained from the EPA BEACON website have been provided to EPA by the coastal and Great Lakes states, tribes and territories that receive grants under the BEACH Act. Data was refined to closure, by state or territory, by year. Data that were not identified to a water body or identified as inland water were not included. Data compiled by states or territory and combined in regions defined as IEA regions except PI includes Guam and Marianas. Caribbean and South Atlantic data stand alone. Not all beaches in a state or territory are monitored through the EPA BEACH Act. Data for beaches monitored by state and local municipalities is not included. Changes in the number of beach closure days may be driven by changes in the number of beaches monitored under the BEACH Act versus by state and local municipalities.
Resources
Beach Advisory and Closing On-line Notification
WATERS exposes several mapping services that provide access to numerous datasets. This web page describes the content and purpose of each mapping service.
Beach Water Quality Monitoring Programs in Coastal States
The Surfrider Foundation has assembled key information on beach water quality monitoring programs across the nation. Browse the state index below to see if current water quality information is available for your favorite beach.
NOAA Pathogen Forecast
An assortment of predictive models and weather related tools have been assembled, primarily related to issues surrounding safe harvest of shellfish around the nation. In partnership with the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), state and academic partners, NOAA is working continuously through the Ecological Forecasting Roadmap to verify and improve model accuracy and resolution, and transition them to a state of operations.