Clean Water Sunset Bay
The Coos Bay Chapter of Surfrider Foundation is engaged in a campaign to source ongoing bacteria contamination at Sunset Bay that put recreational users at risk and end the long standing health advisories at this beloved beach.
Since 2002, the Coos Bay Chapter of Surfrider Foundation has conducted ongoing water quality monitoring through their Blue Water Task Force Program at Sunset Bay, Oregon. Over the nearly two decades of data collection, the chapter regularly monitors bacteria that exceeds limits safe for recreational contact. Similarly, the state of Oregon's Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and Oregon Health Authority have monitored this important recreational beach for over 20 years and issued dozens of health advisories for the ocean water. Recognized as one of the nation's most contaminated beaches, the Coos Bay Chapter is organizing with partners to source the bacteria contamination and end health advisories for the safety of recreational users and those who love Sunset Bay.
Over the years a number of studies have been conducted to help monitor and identify the sources of bacteria contamination at Sunset Bay. While source monitoring clearly indicates the nearby Big Creek as the primary source of bacteria, past studies have been limited in monitoring techniques for sourcing the origins of that bacteria beyond the creek and keying in on point sources. These monitoring limitations have left us monitoring the problem, but not solving it, thus continuing to put beachgoers and ocean users at risk. It's now the interest of Surfrider to conduct more sophisticated source monitoring to begin differentiating between human-caused or naturally occurring sources of bacteria, honing in on point sources and correcting these issues.
Clean water at Sunset Bay is the goal - it's time for the health advisories at this beloved beach to end!
The Coos Bay Chapter Surfrider Foundation is seeking to partner with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Oregon Department of State Parks, Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians to collaborate on the source monitoring plan and secure the necessary resources and expertise for this study. It's likely that the chapter will be conducting a number of different techniques and indicators throughout this process such DNA sampling, qPCR, or optical brightners that all can help source bactria contributions. Depending upon the final determination of source and origin, Surfrider is committed to determing the best approach to make sure that there are No More Water Quality Health Advisories at Sunset Bay!