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Beach Environmental Assessment, Communication, and Health Program

Marine Swimming Beach Monitoring

The Beach Environmental Assessment, Communication, and Health (BEACH) Program monitors saltwater/ marine beaches from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Check Your Beach

Find Swimming Beach Closures/ Advisories with a map-based application. Learn about bacteria levels at tested beaches throughout the swimming season. Access BEACH data.

2015 Annual Report -See how the last-reported year's swimming season stacked up, including county-by-county details for all sampled beaches.

Learn More

Swimming Standards and Marine Water Quality -Learn about how EPA Swimming Standards apply to Washington beaches.

Information for BEACH Samplers offers detailed protocols and other resources for BEACH partners and others who may be interested in how the program works.

Swimming Tips -Know before you go. Make your swim a healthy one.

Help Your Beach -Learn what you can do to keep Washington marine beaches safe for swimming. Be a good beach steward.

A Guide to Healthy Swimming at Saltwater Beaches: Washington State's BEACH Program is a downloadable brochure.

2016 BEACH List divides the sampled beaches by county. See if your beach is covered.

Contact BEACH -Reach BEACH staff, sign up for the ListServe, follow us on social-media platforms.

The Washington BEACH Program is led jointly by the Washington State Departments of Ecology and Health in partnership with county and local agencies, tribal nations, and volunteers.

Report a Beach Problem

Report a Problem such as sewage or oil spills or other environmental issues.

Related information

Recreational Shellfish Closures is a map-based application at the Washington State Department of Health that tracks shellfish-harvest safety.

Public Beaches, a part of Ecology's Coastal Atlas, gives many details about Washington State beaches that allow public access.

Beaches is part of the website of the US Environmental Protection Agency that contains information on swimming and health, including technical resources.

Puget Sound Partnership -PSP Vital Signs uses safe swimming beaches as a success indicator for Puget Sound cleanup.

Freshwater Swimming

The BEACH Program monitors selected saltwater beaches. Learn about lake-swimming safety at the links below.

Northwest Toxic Algae addresses toxic cyanobacterial blooms in Washington state lakes. Check to be certain that your lake is safe for swimming.

Local Health Jurisdictions monitor some freshwater swimming lakes. The Department of Health maintains a map-based application to find your local health department.

King County Swimming Beach Monitoring covers marine beaches, as well as Major Lakes Monitoring.