Rhode Island Department of Health Beach Monitoring Program

Levels of bacteria in Rhode Island's beaches are related to rainfall,
CSO's, and the presence of waterfowl. In periods of dry weather water quality
at beaches is consistently within acceptable limits. In periods of wet weather,
decreased water quality warrants the closure of several beaches located in the
upper reaches of Narragansett Bay and Greenwich Bay.

BEACH Program Marine and Freshwater
This program is monitoring bacteria levels at licensed bathing beaches
throughout the state of Rhode Island. Beach are sampled at varying frequency
and intensity according to historical results, distance from known sources of
contamination, length of coastline monitored, and the annual number of bathers.
Beach water quality is evaluated through state water quality standards and if
waters violate this standard, the facility is closed until water quality
standards are met. The Beach Monitoring Program has secured funding through the
2003 season, and expects to have several additional years of funding available.
Rhode Island is currently testing bathing waters for fecal coliform and
enterococci. Starting in the 2004 bathing season Rhode Island will be using the
EPA recommended indicator of enterococci to monitor beaches. One more season of
baseline enterococci data is needed before the change in indictors will be
made. This monitoring program is limited to its federal budget. No state funds
are currently allocated to monitoring beaches in the State of Rhode Island. The
available federal funding does not provide money to monitor freshwater beaches.
All bacteria samples collected through the Beach Program are available through
our website ( http://www.health.state.ri.us/environment/beaches/index.html ) or
by contacting the program administrator. Water Quality: fecal coliform,
enterococci

Waterbody or Watershed Names: Atlantic Ocean; Beach Pond; Bowdish Reservoir;
Browning Mill Pond; Butterfly Pond;Carr Pond; Cedar Pond;Cookie Pond; Coomer's
Pond; Flat River Reservoir; Georgiaville Pond; Gorton's Pond; Gorton Pond;
Gosham Farm Pond; Greenwich Bay; Hope Pond; Killingly Pond; Lake Adams; Lake
Aldersgate; Larkin's Pond; Little Nini Pond;L ittle Pond; Mishnock River; Mount
Hope Bay; Narragansett Bay; Narrow River; New Pond; Oak Swamp Reservoir; Olney
Pond; Pascoag Reservoir; Point Judith Pond; Sakonnet River; Sand Pond;Saw Mill
Road Pond; Schoolhouse Pond; Slack's Pond; Social Pond; Spring Lake; Tiogue
Lake; Upper Sprague Reservoir; Wakefield Pond; Watchaug Pond; Waterman Lake;
Wenscott Pond; Worden Pond; Yawgoog Pond