| "If there is a closure, they can log on and see which beach it is, and if it impacts the beach they're planning on attending." | |
| Dominic Guadagnoli, Georgia Department of Natural Resources |
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Coastal resource managers are looking for simple and effective ways to fulfill a national mandate to notify the public about water quality testing that determines beach openings and closings. By tapping into an existing environmental awareness program, Georgia was the first state to post this information for its entire coastline over the Internet.
"The general purpose of displaying the information," says Dominic Guadagnoli, a biologist with the Coastal Resources Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, "is to give the public, especially those who are more than an hour's drive from the coast, an idea of the water quality on the beaches. If there is a closure, they can log on and see which beach it is, and if it impacts the beach they're planning on attending."
"We call it 'know before you go,'" says Meryl Klein, director of outreach for Earth's 911, a nationwide communication network that features the new Beach Reporting System on its Web site, www.earth911.org. "People want to know the basics of where, when, and why. By providing this information, they don't waste their time getting to a beach that is closed."
The Beach Reporting System was developed by Earth's 911 and the nonprofit Surfrider Foundation with funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which is requiring public notification of water quality testing in its Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act of 2000.
The reporting system was piloted by San Diego County, California, on www.earth911.org. The Web site was already providing nationwide information on state and local recycling sites, energy and water conservation, and everyday environmental questions. The reporting system is now being offered on the site to any interested coastal resource managers.
Last spring, Georgia became the first state to begin posting its beach water-quality information to the site. New Jersey began using the system in July, Klein says.
To enter the site, visitors input a state zip code, such as 31520 for Georgia or 07701 for New Jersey. The state's entire coastline can be viewed, or visitors can click on a beach name for information such as the beach location, condition, and real time water-quality status. There also is a "get involved" section that includes data on state coastal programs and information on water pollution prevention.
The system is free to agencies and includes a toll-free number and printable summary. Guadagnoli says Georgia updates its sampling information bimonthly, and has a link to the site on the department's home page.
He notes the program is "very easy to use." The reporting system has a user interface that a coordinator can access with a password at any time. The coordinator can then change information about one station, one beach, or the entire coastline. A date stamp documents all changes. A tutorial is available for managers on how to use and update the site.
"What I think is so nice about the site," Klein says, "is that it's a very customizable system, and we can work with the managers to help make it what they need it to be."
For more information on Georgia's beach water-quality information, contact Dominic Guadagnoli at (912) 264-7218 or dominic_guadagnoli@coastal.dnr.state.ga.us. For more information on www.earth911.org, contact Tim Gormley at (602) 224-5444 or tgormley@cleanup.org.
