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The
County of Sonoma, Environmental Health Division monitored
seven locations on a weekly basis from April through
October, from as far upcoast as Gualala Regional
Park Beach to a downcoast location
at Doran Regional Park Beach in Bodega Bay. Samples are collected 25 yards north
or south of the mouth of a storm drain or creek.
For additional water quality information visit the Sonoma
County Department of Environmental Health
website.
In
the Beach Report Card's third year covering Sonoma
County, summer water quality at most beaches was
good-to-excellent, with six of the seven monitoring
locations receiving As or Bs. Campbell Cove State
Park Beach continues to suffer from poor water quality.
Located at the entrance to Bodega Harbor in Bodega
Bay, Campbell Cove received an F grade.
Given
that Sonoma County only monitors from April through
October,
there was an insufficient amount of wet weather
data for analysis.
Clean
Beach Initiative Summary
Sonoma County is wrapping up their Clean Beach
Initiative (CBI) grant, having completed a hydrodynamics
study (measuring the direction and flow of currents) in
the Bodega Harbor area, and a DNA analysis of source
organisms potentially causing poor water quality. The
DNA study concluded that the main contributors of
source organisms were from avian (bird) populations and
marine mammals. The County wanted to implement a
zoonotic study to determine the probability of crossspecies
(e.g. seals or birds to humans) infectivity from
fecal matter. If proven, the County would have diverted a
nearby source of freshwater that is attracting the seabirds
and marine mammals during the late summer. However,
the project did not meet the requirements of the CBI program,
and therefore was denied by the State Water
Resources Control Board. Finally, in addition to warning
beachgoers about poor water quality, the County is also
warning beachgoers about elevated levels of bacteria
found in the sand.
Sewage
Spill Summary
There were zero (0) reported sewage spills in Sonoma
County that led to beach closures.
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