BEACHWATCH PROGRAM
The Beach Watch Program was created to monitor water quality at non-state regulated swimming areas in the Thousand Islands. STR staff and volunteers combine their efforts to collect water samples at the following sites:
Frink Park Clayton, NY
Potter’s Beach Grindstone Island
Round Island, down-river of Clayton, NY
Lake of the Isles Wellesley Island
Scenic View Park Alexandria Bay, NY
Wilson’s Beach Cape Vincent, NY
Sampling follows New York State standards and samples are taken to a state-certified lab to be tested for enterococci bacteria levels. The bacteria levels in each sample are then compared to state beach water quality standards. At high levels, bacteria can cause health problems such as rashes and gastrointestinal illness, and can be dangerous to very old and very young people, as well as anyone with a compromised immune system.
Summer 2008 Sampling Results
This yea'rs snapshot of water quality was overall within the state and federal standards for swimming water quality. Bacteria levels at Wilson Beach spiked above water quality standards on one sampling date, July 22. Overall this is an improvement over past years when multiple sampling dates indicated high bacteria levels at the beach. All other swimming areas were within standards for all sampling dates.
Below is information on the 2008 sampling season results:
Save The River 2008 Beach Watch Report
If you would like to receive weekly updates during next years program, please e-mail us at striver@savethriver.org.
Summer 2007 Sampling Results
Wilson Beach experienced high bacteria readings for the summer of ’06. As a result of this, Save the River has monitored this site very closely in ’07, adding five more sampling sites within Wilson Bay in an effort to determine the cause of the high levels.
Below is information on the 2007 sampling season results.
Summer 2006 Sampling Results
Below is information on the 2006 sampling season results.
Interested in Volunteering?
To learn more about the project and to volunteer, call Save The River or contact Sarah Walsh, STR Program Manager, at sarah@savetheriver.org.