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Public Beach Monitoring

The Environmental Health Division of the Grand Traverse County Health Department works closely with the Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay, the City of Traverse City, and the Traverse City State Park to insure the health and safety of several public beaches throughout Grand Traverse County. The Watershed Center administers grants from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to sample surface water from swim areas of the beaches. The water samples are analyzed for E. coli , a relatively harmless organism that may indicate the possible presence of harmful pathogenic microorganisms.

The GTCHD interprets sample results and posts the "Weekly Beach Report", including the "Water Quality Index", which is a numerical system of alerting the public regarding contact with surface water.

LEVEL 1: E.coli levels meet MDEQ swimming standards for full body contact.
LEVEL 2: E.coli levels meet MDEQ standards for wading, fishing, and boating.
Contact above the waist not advised.
LEVEL 3: E.coli levels exceed MDEQ standards, no body contact advised.
LEVEL 4: Health Alert. E.coli levels and/or known gross contamination of beach waters.
Avoid body contact with beach waters.

In addition, the GTCHD has organized a coalition of agencies known as the "Beach Monitoring Stakeholders Group" that regularly meets to discuss surface water quality issues as they relate to healthy beaches.

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