Wrangell BEACH Monitoring Annual Report

The Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition’s Annual Wrangell BEACH Monitoring Report is now available for review!

With support from the State of Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, the Wrangell BEACH Monitoring program was initiated in July 2014 to collect water quality data and keep the public informed of bacteria levels for safe recreational use at City Park and Petroglyph Beach near Wrangell.

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SAWC staff Angie Eldred collects samples at City Park, near Wrangell

 

Bacterial contamination in Alaska’s coastal recreational waters can originate from sources such as shoreline development, wastewater collection and treatment facilities, septic tanks, urban runoff, disposal of human waste from boats, commercial and domestic animals and natural animal sources such as wildlife. People who swim and recreate in waters contaminated with such bacterial pollution are at an increased risk of becoming ill.

Weekly samples were collected and analyzed during the high use summer months at City Park and Petroglyph Beach, with plans in place to notify local managers and the public of any bacterial contamination exceeding safe levels determined by AK DEC and the Environmental Protection Agency.

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Petroglyph Beach, near Wrangell

 

 

Collected water quality data and comprehensive BEACH program information are available for review in the Annual Report. SAWC is currently collecting water quality data for year two of the Wrangell BEACH monitoring program, and has initiated monitoring at Sandy Beach in Petersburg this year.

 

Download (PDF, 1.31MB)

 

For more information on the Recreational BEACH Monitoring Programs in Wrangell and Petersburg, please contact:

Angie Eldred

Communications Coordinator & Wrangell Program Coordinator

(907) 231-1710