EDMONDS — Take comfort in the good water quality at local beaches. Just don’t take it for granted.
Volunteers are preparing to head out to popular saltwater parks in Snohomish County this summer to sample for bacteria.
Starting a week before Memorial Day, they’ll wade regularly into Puget Sound to collect samples for testing. They expect to be at it until a week before Labor Day.
“We focus on high-use beaches and sometimes beaches with problems as well,” said Debby Sargeant, a manager with the state Department of Ecology.
Sargeant oversees the BEACH program, which monitors 70 saltwater beaches on the coast and around Puget Sound. Volunteers from Washington State University Extension’s Beach Watchers program are furnishing the labor for local testing.
They’re planning to take weekly samples at four Snohomish County beaches: Marina Beach and Brackett’s Landing in Edmonds, plus Picnic Point and Mukilteo’s Lighthouse Park.
They’ll also take samples on Jetty Island once ferry service resumes July 5, though they’re only planning to test there every other week.
Everett’s Howarth Park could be added if it opens later in the summer following emergency repairs.
The Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians has been monitoring water quality at Kayak Point Park in north Snohomish County.
Tim Ellis, a retired Boeing Co. information technology manager, joined Beach Watchers as a volunteer last year.
Earlier this week, Ellis demonstrated the water-quality testing technique at Brackett’s Landing. He waded out from the shoreline to reach clear water, then held a plastic 100 ml container upside down and submerged it about 6 inches into the water.
A lab in Everett will test the samples and should have results about a day later.
The lab checks for enterococci, commonly known as fecal bacteria. It’s an indicator of pollution by sewage and animal waste, as well as possible bacteria, viruses or protozoa.
“The big concern is the gastrointestinal illness, because that can be especially harmful for kids,” Sargeant said.
Other potential health conditions from exposure to water with elevated bacteria levels include skin, ear and eye infections.
The BEACH program doesn’t track contaminants related to storm runoff, such as toxic chemicals or nutrients.
Sargeant said people can help maintain beaches by picking up trash and food scraps, cleaning up after pets and resisting the temptation to feed wildlife.
High bacteria levels generally trigger about 30 closures in other parts of the state every year, typically only for a short period, Sargeant said.
That hasn’t been the case along Snohomish County’s shoreline, where water quality is generally rated good or excellent, said Jessica Payne, a state Department of Ecology spokeswoman.
Some Whidbey Island beaches haven’t fared as well.
Island County’s Freeland Park has a permanent advisory for bacteria levels that often reach the advisory range and sometimes the closure range, Payne said.
That stems from the buildup of beach wrack — seaweed, other plants and animals that wash ashore — which keeps bacteria on the beach.
The lagoon at Dave Mackie Park on Whidbey Island also has a permanent advisory, though water quality has been good on the park’s shoreline, she said.
The beach at Oak Harbor’s Windjammer Park has a permanent advisory, though the lagoon there has tested at safe levels.
Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465; nhaglund@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @NWhaglund.
To check water quality at a saltwater beach near you, visit the www.ecy.wa.gov and search for “BEACH program.”
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