Don't get sick this weekend at Short Sands, creek and nearshore contaminated readings observed on Friday! Samples collected at the foot bridge on Thursday yielded fecal bacteria and pathogen results 110 times the health advisory limit.
These are the highest readings - 17,329 cfu/100ml at the footbridge and 201 cfu/100ml on the beach at the creek mouth (for reference, 158 cfu/100ml is the health advisory limit) that DEQ has ever measured at this site. The creek is a popular place for dogs and small children to hang out and this incident yet again points to the need for ongoing monitoring and pollution solutions, now in jeopardy for state and federal funding - read more about that here. With thousands likely to hit this popular beach this weekend, please take caution and report any illness here. While the Oregon Health Authority and DEQ will resample at Short Sands on Monday 7/29, our Portland Chapter's Blue Water Task Force Program will be sampling this weekend and we'll provide an update here on those results.
If you're interested in volunteering for our program, we need help! Go here for more information.
The area has had some long-standing concerns with the restroooms and the septic field that often carries a stinch and soggies the trail to the beach from the parking lot...um, health concern - we say cover those dawgs if you're walking through that $hit! We'll be carefully monitoring this area, sampling above and below the restrooms to better trace bacterial pollution here in the coming months.