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Ocean Water Quality Monitoring

Sonoma County has approximately 64 miles of coastal beaches. In order to protect the health of the public, weekly samples are collected and tested between April 1 and October 31 by the Department of Health Services to monitor bacterial levels.

Ocean water samples are collected at beaches that are visited by 50,000 people per year and are adjacent to storm drains, creek or rivers. Seven beaches in Sonoma County meet this criteria.

Weekly Ocean Water Quality Test Results

ADVISORY Bacterial levels have exceeded State standards. Contact with water may cause illness and should be avoided.

CLOSED Significant risk to health. Avoid any contact with the water until further notice.

Note: Unless indicated, bacterial levels shown are below State standards. There are no restrictions to water contact activity.

Ocean Beaches - Sampling 2012
  Gualala Regional Park Beach Black Point Regional Park Beach Stillwater Regional Park Beach Goat Rock State Beach Salmon Creek State Beach Campbell Cove State Beach Doran Regional Park Beach
Date Collected TC FC ENT TC FC ENT TC FC ENT TC FC ENT TC FC ENT TC FC ENT TC FC ENT
January 3, 2012                         <10 <10 <10 31 20 <10      
January 17, 2012                         <10 <10 <10 10 <10 <10      
Ocean Beaches - Sampling 2011
  Gualala Regional Park Beach Black Point Regional Park Beach Stillwater Regional Park Beach Goat Rock State Beach Salmon Creek State Beach Campbell Cove State Beach Doran Regional Park Beach
Date Collected TC FC ENT TC FC ENT TC FC ENT TC FC ENT TC FC ENT TC FC ENT TC FC ENT
April 5, 2011 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 52 10 <10 62 <10 <10 20 10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10
April 11, 2011 <10 <10 <10 10 10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 20 <10 <10 97 31 10 <10 <10 <10
April 18, 2011 <10 <10 <10 10 <10 <10 20 10 <10 10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10
April 25, 2011 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 63 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 31
May 2, 2011 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 10 10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10
May 9, 2011 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 10 10 <10 <10 <10 <10 10 <10 <10 30 20 <10 <10 <10 <10
May 16, 2011 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 10 10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 75 41 350 <10 <10 <10
May 19, 2011                               120 20 20      
May 23, 2011 20 <10 <10 10 10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 62 10 121 <10 <10 <10
May 31, 2011 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 10 10 <10
June 6, 2011 98 20 <10 <10 <10 <10 63 31 10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 31 <10 20 <10 <10 <10
June 13, 2011 20 10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10
June 20, 2011 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 10 10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 10 10 <10
June 27, 2011 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 20 10 10 <10 <10 <10
July 5, 2011 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 52 10 <10 31 20 20 <10 <10 <10 41 10 10 <10 <10 <10
July 11, 2011 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 10 <10 <10 10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10
July 18, 2011 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10
July 25, 2011 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 30 30 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 10 <10 <10
August 1, 2011 <10 <10 <10 20 <10 <10 10 <10 <10 52 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 85 74 41 <10 <10 <10
August 8, 2011 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 63 <10 <10 10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 10 <10 10 <10 <10 <10
August 15, 2011 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 30 10 <10 <10 <10 <10 41 41 10 <10 <10 <10
August 22, 2011 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 10 10 <10 10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 218 135 20 31 31 <10
August 29, 2011 20 10 <10 <10 <10 <10 10 10 10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 41 10 10 10 <10 <10
August 29, 2011 20 10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 41 10 10 10 <10 <10
September 6, 2011 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 160 10 10 <10
September 8, 2011                               <10 <10 10      
September 12, 2011 10 <10 <10 20 20 <10 41 <10 <10 41 <10 <10 10 <10 <10 10 <10 10 <10 <10 <10
September 19, 2011 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 10 10 <10 <10 10 <10 <10 132 10 10 41 10 <10
September 26, 2011 <10 <10 <10 41 10 <10 10 10 <10 <10 <10 <10 10 <10 <10 135 10 <10 <10 <10 <10
October 3, 2011 <1 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 132 52 216 <10 <10 <10 10 <10 20 97 20 20 10 20 63
October 5, 2011             496 98 98                        
October 10, 2011 20 <10 <10 109 <10 31 2,254 73 749 583 20 171 20 20 10 402 221 108 31 <10 <10
October 12, 2011             1,354 <2 20 185 20 52       122 <10 <10      
October 17, 2011 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 85 <10 20 <10 <1 <10 <10 <10 <10 73 31 <10 10 <10 <10
October 24, 2011 10 <10 <1 52 <10 <10 171 10 30 <10 <10 <10 10 10 <10 10 <10 <10 355 156 84
October 31, 2011 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 10 <10 <10 10 <10 <10 10 <10 <10 97 <10 52
November 7, 2011                         <10 <10 <10 10 <10 <10      
November 21, 2011                         10 <10 <10 243 243 10      
December 5, 2011                         <10 <10 <10 20 <10 <10      
December 19, 2011                         <10 <10 <10 <10 10 <10      

Ocean Beaches Sampling Test Results - 2010 (pdf)

Related Links

Ocean Water Quality Monitoring: More Information

Includes a map of the water quality monitoring locations.

What's New

Sonoma Coast Red Tide - September 2, 2011 Update

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For current Beach Sampling postings, call the Hotline at (707) 565-6552.

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