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Enhance Great Lakes Beach Recreational Water Quality Decision Making Active

By Upper Midwest Water Science Center April 7, 2019

Important questions about beach closures and management remain unanswered in the Great Lakes where over 500 beaches are routinely used along the nearly 11,000 miles of coastline. The economies of coastal areas are dependent on public confidence in the quality of water at the shoreline, and beach managers need reliable science-based information to make beach closure and beach management decisions. Scientists in USGS Science Centers in the Great Lakes are leading or involved in much of the research on cost effective ways to make beach closure decisions as well as on a more complete understanding of microbiological science relevant to making effective beach management decisions. 

This overall project is titled "Enhance Great Lakes Recreational Water Quality Decision Making" and is part of the USGS efforts under the Great Lakes Restoration Iniative to address Nearshore Health. Scientists within the MIWSC are focused primarily on exploring new laboratory methods for pathogen detection and identifying physical and biological processes that influence pathogen occurrence at Great Lakes beaches. In addition, MIWSC scientists are assisting beach mangers throughout Michigan in the development of predictive tools for more timely beach closure decision-making. 

  • Overview

    Important questions about beach closures and management remain unanswered in the Great Lakes where over 500 beaches are routinely used along the nearly 11,000 miles of coastline. The economies of coastal areas are dependent on public confidence in the quality of water at the shoreline, and beach managers need reliable science-based information to make beach closure and beach management decisions. Scientists in USGS Science Centers in the Great Lakes are leading or involved in much of the research on cost effective ways to make beach closure decisions as well as on a more complete understanding of microbiological science relevant to making effective beach management decisions. 

    This overall project is titled "Enhance Great Lakes Recreational Water Quality Decision Making" and is part of the USGS efforts under the Great Lakes Restoration Iniative to address Nearshore Health. Scientists within the MIWSC are focused primarily on exploring new laboratory methods for pathogen detection and identifying physical and biological processes that influence pathogen occurrence at Great Lakes beaches. In addition, MIWSC scientists are assisting beach mangers throughout Michigan in the development of predictive tools for more timely beach closure decision-making.