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2007 Swimming Season Update
Michigan
July 2008
- Introduction
- 2007 Summary Results
- For More Information
- Print version (PDF) of this document (235 K, 2 pp.; About PDF)
- Raw data (MS-Excel) for Michigan (423 K)
Introduction
Figure 1. Michigan coastal counties with 2007 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 Michigan for the 2007 swimming season.
| County | Total Beaches | Monitored | Not Monitored |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcona | 17 | 1 | 16 |
| Alger | 25 | 0 | 25 |
| Allegan | 11 | 5 | 6 |
| Alpena | 23 | 5 | 18 |
| Antrim | 28 | 5 | 23 |
| Arenac | 32 | 8 | 24 |
| Baraga | 24 | 1 | 23 |
| Bay | 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Benzie | 14 | 1 | 13 |
| Berrien | 33 | 13 | 20 |
| Charlevoix | 19 | 13 | 6 |
| Cheboygan | 24 | 4 | 20 |
| Chippewa | 37 | 6 | 31 |
| Delta | 55 | 2 | 53 |
| Gogebic | 10 | 1 | 9 |
| Grand Traverse | 44 | 5 | 39 |
| Houghton | 24 | 7 | 17 |
| Huron | 41 | 12 | 29 |
| Iosco | 24 | 8 | 16 |
| Keweenaw | 28 | 1 | 27 |
| Leelanau | 66 | 3 | 63 |
| Luce | 17 | 0 | 17 |
| Mackinac | 63 | 2 | 61 |
| Macomb | 13 | 4 | 9 |
| Manistee | 18 | 9 | 9 |
| Marquette | 9 | 5 | 4 |
| Mason | 19 | 7 | 12 |
| Menominee | 11 | 2 | 9 |
| Monroe | 13 | 4 | 9 |
| Muskegon | 19 | 12 | 7 |
| Oceana | 16 | 6 | 10 |
| Ontonagon | 19 | 2 | 17 |
| Ottawa | 15 | 9 | 6 |
| Presque Isle | 37 | 4 | 33 |
| Sanilac | 23 | 4 | 19 |
| Schoolcraft | 15 | 1 | 14 |
| St. Clair | 25 | 14 | 11 |
| Van Buren | 8 | 4 | 4 |
| Wayne | 7 | 2 | 5 |
| Totals | 970 | 208 | 762 |
2007 Summary Results
How many notification actions were reported and how long were they?
Figure 2: Beach notification actions by duration.
Michigan's approach is to issue a beach advisory when water quality standards are exceeded at a particular beach that warns people to avoid contact with the water. A total of 32 monitored beaches had at least one advisory issued during the 2007 swimming season. About 63 percent of Michigan's 48 notification actions lasted two days or less. Figure 2 presents a full breakdown of notification action durations.
What percentage of days were beaches under a notification action?
Figure 3: Beach days with and without notification actions in 2007.
For Michigan's 2007 swimming season, actions were reported about 3 percent of the time (Figure 3).
How do 2007 results compare to previous years?
Table 2 compares 2007 notification action data with monitored beach data from previous years.
| Year | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of monitored beaches | 214 | 211 | 208 |
| Number of beaches affected by notification actions | 27 | 42 | 32 |
| Percentage of beaches affected by notification actions | 13% | 20% | 15% |
| Percentage of beach days affected by notification actions | 2% | 2% | 3% |
What pollution sources affect monitored beaches?
There are no known sources of pollution for most of Michigan's monitored beaches (Figure 4).
Figure 4: Percent of monitored beaches potentially affected by pollution sources (208 beaches).
For More Information
Michigan's 2006 Beach Season Data | General information about beaches | Beaches in Michigan
