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Georgia Summary: 2006 Swimming Season
May 2007
- Introduction
- 2006 Summary Results
- For More Information
- Print version (PDF) of this document (170 K, 2 pages, About PDF)
- Raw data (MS-Excel) for Georgia (73 K)
Introduction
Figure 1. Georgia coastal counties with 2006 monitored beach data.
The BEACH Act of 2000 requires that coastal and Great Lakes states and territories report to EPA on beach monitoring and notification data for their coast recreation waters. The BEACH Act defines coastal recreation waters as the Great Lakes and coastal waters (including coastal estuaries) that states, territories, and authorized tribes officially recognize or designate for swimming, bathing, surfing, or similar activities in the water.
This fact sheet summarizes beach monitoring and notification data submitted to EPA by the state of Georgia for the 2006 swimming season.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources samples the beaches on Tybee, St. Simons, and Jekyll Islands weekly year-round. Other more remote beaches are sampled monthly during the swimming season (April–November).
The beach water is monitored for the presence of the Enterococcus bacteria. When bacteria levels are found to exceed either a single sample level of 104 per 100ml or a geometric mean of 35 per 100ml, the Coastal Health District will issue a swimmer's advisory and send out a press release. The local government activates advisory signage at the affected beach. The advisory information is also posted on the Georgia website 
.
| County | Total Beaches | Monitored | Not Monitored |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camden | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Chatham | 13 | 9 | 4 |
| Glynn | 19 | 16 | 3 |
| Liberty | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| McIntosh | 6 | 2 | 4 |
| Totals | 41 | 27 | 14 |
2006 Summary Results
How many beaches had notification actions?
Figure 2: Monitored beaches with and without notification actions in 2006.
When monitoring of water at beaches shows that levels of certain bacteria exceed standards, Georgia's beach managers post a beach advisory, warning people of possible risks of swimming. Of the 27 coastal beaches that were monitored in 2006, 11, or 41 percent, had at least one advisory during the 2006 season (Figure 2).
How many notification actions were reported and how long were they?
Figure 3: Beach notification actions by duration.
A total of 29 beach notification actions were reported in the 2006 swimming season. Seventeen actions were of relatively short duration, while 12 actions lasted longer than 7 days. Figure 3 presents breakdowns of action durations.
What percentage of days were beaches under a notification action?
Figure 4: Beach days with and without notification actions.
For Georgia's 2006 swimming season, EPA determined there were a total of 8,585 beach days associated with the 27 monitored beaches. Actions were reported on 300 of those days or about 3 percent of the time (Figure 4).
How do 2006 results compare to previous years?
Beginning in 2003, states are required to submit data to EPA under the BEACH Act for beaches which are in coastal and Great Lakes waters. Table 2 compares 2006 data with data reported in previous years.
| Year | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of monitored beaches | 31 | 27 | 27 |
| Number of beaches affected by notification actions | 17 | 17 | 11 |
| Percentage of beaches affected by notification actions | 55% | 63% | 41% |
For More Information
General information about beaches | Beaches in Georgia
You can also see the Earth911 Beach Water Quality site for GA .
