Clean Beaches Initiative

The Great Lakes Regional Collaboration (GLRC) identifies coastal health as a challenge recognizing the significance of beaches to the economic well-being, health and quality of life of the region's citizens. Contamination leading to beach advisories continues to be a concern in the Basin. The GLRC calls for identification of sources of contamination and remediation. Sanitary surveys and predictive modeling are a means to achieve these goals.

In response to data collected from the Great Lakes states which found that 90% of their beach advisories and closings were from unknown sources, U.S. EPA and federal, state and local beach program partners developed standardized beach sanitary survey forms in 2007. These forms assist beach managers with a consistent approach to identify pollution sources, share information, and plan source remediation. The forms were successfully piloted by 61 Great Lakes beaches during the 2007 beach season, through EPA funding.

The GLRC Clean Beaches Initiative is focused on broadening the use of these standard sanitary survey forms throughout the Great Lakes region. Beach managers, cities, tribes, and citizen volunteers are encouraged to use the standard sanitary survey forms and take this first critical step towards ensuring clean and safe beaches.

Download Standard Sanitary Survey Forms and Guidance Documents

Need more guidance in filling out the forms?

• If your beach is small, embayed and surrounded by parkland, see the Bender Beach, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (PDF, 27 pages, 4.73Mb)  example of a completed Annual Sanitary Survey form.
• If your beach is urban, slightly embayed and has storm drains emptying on to it, see the North Beach, Racine, Wisconsin (PDF, 24 pages, 9.18Mb) or Zoo Beach, Racine, Wisconsin (PDF, 18 pages, 3.43Mb) examples of completed Annual Sanitary Survey forms.
• Need a reference for filling out the routine sanitary survey form? This filled in form (PDF, 1 page, 66Kb)  is an example from a state park beach which is open to the water.
• Are you a concerned citizen who would like to help improve the health of your favorite beach? If so, visit the Alliance for the Great Lakes Adopt-a-Beach webpage for forms you can use to learn more about your beach.
   
• See additional information resources on beach management, monitoring, and forecasting  for the Great Lakes region

For further information about the Clean Beaches Initiative, please contact:

Melissa Soline
Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative
(312) 201 - 4517
[email protected]