The Oregon Beach Monitoring Program has released its list of coastal recreation areas it will monitor for the presence of bacteria during 2026 and 2027.
Bacteria on an Oregon beach can come from many sources like sewage spills, surface runoff, a bad septic system, or livestock and wildlife feces, to name a few possible sources. Unsafe levels of fecal bacteria in beach water can cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, skin rashes, and other illnesses.
Children, elderly and those with a compromised immune system are more vulnerable to illness from waterborne bacteria.
The Oregon Health Authority testing program runs from May through late September of each year. If a test exceeds the US Environmental Protection Agency limit for bacteria, the health authority issues an advisory. While that’s not a closure, OHA recreational waters specialist Linda Novitski recommends a few safeguards when visiting a beach during a bacteria alert.
“We do advise people to avoid contact with the water, to avoid swimming and wading and doing activities that might get water in your mouth,” Novitski told KLCC. “But if people do still decide to go into the water, we suggest that they clean off afterward.”
Twenty-five beaches are slated for testing, with eight in Lincoln County and one in Lane County. OHA and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality work together to evaluate beaches for monitoring based on several criteria to include: known pollution hazards, previous testing data, beach use, and public input.
