A swimming advisory was issued for Boulevard Park, particularly Taylor Dock, after routine monitoring detected high levels of fecal bacteria in the water.
The Washington State Department of Ecology advises community members to avoid contact with the water in this area.
Beach water in Washington is tested regularly by the BEACH (Beach Environmental Assessment, Communication & Health) program, which monitors the safety of beaches from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The program is led by the Washington State Department of Health and the Department of Ecology.
Taylor Dock was added to the BEACH program monitoring network this year, said Mugdha Flores, communications manager at the Department of Ecology in an email. The water is tested every two weeks.
“Since this is a new beach, we are checking to see if the high results remain consistent, and then identify possible sources of pollution if there appears to be an ongoing issue with bacteria levels,” Flores said.
Charlotte Alden is CDN’s general assignment/enterprise reporter; reach her at charlottealden@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 123.
