Saltwater Beach Closures were chosen as an indicator for the Watershed Counts Indicator Project in The 71 licensed saltwater facilities in the s

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1 Rhode Island Department of Health Beach Program Narragansett Bay Estuary Program Watershed Counts Beach Closure Indicator Workshop October 27, 2011

2 Saltwater Beach Closures were chosen as an indicator for the Watershed Counts Indicator Project in The 71 licensed saltwater facilities in the state are considered for the indicator. Beach Closure events are used in relations to seasonal precipitation. precipitation.

3 Bacterial Testing (Enterococci) Daily Beach Surveys Precipitation Wind Speed and Direction Water Temperature Air Temperature Tidal Cycles Lunar Cycle Seaweed Log Illness Complaints Sewage Discharges Cyanobacteria

4 2011 Beach Season (May 27 Sept 5) Closure Days 45 Closure Events At 19 Beaches Total Rain = events >0.5 Est. Discharges = Million Gallons (150 Total Closure Days Including FW) 74 Closure Days 37 Closure Events At 18 Beaches Total Rain = events >0.5 Est. Discharges = Million Gallons (222 Total Closure Days Including FW)

5 2011 Beach Season Freshwater Beaches are still not funded for DOH testing. 69% of total beach closure days for % of total beach closure events 51% operate as children's recreational facilities and camps freshwater closure days 10 freshwater closure events 8 freshwater beaches

6 2011 Beach Season 15 illness complaints were reported in 2011 All information is submitted voluntarily Reports are usually missing information All reports are submitted and reviewed by the state epidemiologist None of the illnesses have been proven to be related to water quality.

7 2011 Beach Season Easton s Beach Huge investment in beach closures Monitored by many groups and organizations DOH, City of Newport, Clean Ocean Access, Surfrider Foundation Almost 800 tons of seaweed was removed from the beach using the seaweed harvester

8 Easton Beach 2011 Beach Season New UV system was installed Activated at > 0.25 of rain within a 24 hour period PREMILINARY DATA 100% of the influent samples exceeded EPA stds. 92% of UV effluent samples were well below EPA stds. 50% of UV results were below EPA stds at the beach.

9 2011 Pet Waste Study The USEPA has identified pet waste as a pollutant. No pet waste investigation has been conducted in RI. The Beach Program partnered with the University of Rhode Island (URI).

10 2011 Pet Waste Study A dataset of state-wide regulations concerning dogs on the beach was created. 44 of 71 licensed saltwater facilities were visited. Over one hundred public surveys were conducted at beaches during the investigation. Education and outreach program using brochures and public service announcements was initiated. Water samples were collected at five beaches where pet waste was observed and analyzed for E.Coli.

11 2011 Pet Waste Study There are an estimated 255,000 dogs in Rhode Island (1, 3). One dog produces about 274 lbs of waste/year (2). That s almost 70 million pounds of dog waste per year in RI! Enough to Close a Bay 2-3 days' worth of waste from just 100 dogs can contribute enough bacteria to temporarily close a bay to swimming and shellfishing (4). Be sure to check out the next Narragansett Bay Journal for our article The Scoop on Pet Waste at Rhode Island Beaches Public Survey Results 82% feel waste that is not picked up on the beach is a problem. 23% of respondents had seen or came across waste on the beach. 74% said they felt pet waste on public beaches should be better regulated.

12 2011 Unlicensed Sampling For EPA grant purposes every mile of coastline in the state must be accounted for. 132 locations throughout the state identified as coastline that are not monitored or licensed. Approximately 75 locations were sampled. 10 samples exceeded EPA stds. Non monitored samples will continue to be collected in future seasons.

13 2011 Water Use Survey Ongoing until December 31, participants of year round water use So far 76 surveys completed in 2011 All participants heads were submerged 68.5% of respondents were in the water for over an hour No illnesses have been reported through the survey Also tracking, location, vegetation, possible pollution sources and other users.

14 Urban Beach Initiative Began B iin 2010 In 2011, expanded from 3 to 5 locations and expanded sampling schedule. Sabin s Point: 35 samples Rose Larissa: 78 samples Gaspee Point: 73 samples Bold Point Park: 53 samples (Partnered with Save the Bay) Field s Point: 10 samples (Partnered with Save the Bay)

15 2011 Urban Beach Initiative 2010 Total 164 samples 2011 Total 249 samples % Exceedance Rate % Exceedance Rate Sabin s Point: 11% Sabin s Point: 40.0% 0% Rosa Larisa: 8.8% Rose Larissa: 26.9% Gaspee Point: 14.5% Gaspee Point: 27.3% Bold Point Park: 32.0% Field s Point: 10% Urban Beach Data is available on ribeaches.org (exception: Field s Point, coming soon)

16 2012 Microbial Source Tracking 10 0h high h priority beaches in Rhode Island A total of 23 sample stations Ten sampling events will occur, 5after of rain 5 during dry weather events Species specific DNA test Bird sanctuaries, horse farms, agricultural farms, turf fields, and non sewered property could be contributing to beach closures.

17 Beach Program GIS Interactive Map Viewer Provide the public and stakeholders with the most up to date beach data available. Pop up screens will appear providing contact info and status (open or closed for swimming) and other information. Focus on making the data usable. Users will be able to apply this information to a GIS map and/or export the data into spreadsheets for analysis. Focus on making the data usable.

18 Additional Information Available: 2010 Urban Beach Initiative GIS and Beaches Presented by: Lauren Russo Beach Program Assistant Rhode Island Department of Health References: 1.American Veterinary Medical Association. Market Research Statistics. US Pet Ownership. From: 2007 US Pet Ownership and Demographic Sourcebook. 2. The Professional Managers Original Guide to Dog Waste Management US Census Bureau: State and County Quickfacts Census data. 4. US EPA Guidance Specifying Management Measures for Sources of Nonpoint Pollution in Coastal Waters. US EPA, Office of Water. Washington DC.