Dog Beach (Rickenbacker Causeway Beach)

Key Biscayne, Florida
Managed by The Swim Guide - Florida

Just at the foot of Rickenbacker Bridge when you cross over on to Key Biscayne, you'll find Dog Beach. Dogs are welcome but must be leashed. Enjoy fantastic views of the city and plentiful equipment rentals such as windsurfers, kayaks, stand-up paddle boards, hobie cats and sunfish sailboats. Because people often forget to clean up when they use this popular dog and picnic area, you should be careful of where you step. There have been swimming warnings here in the past. But, when it's clean and safe, this is a fantastic spot to enjoy all kinds of water-based recreation!

WATER QUALITY
  • Passed water quality tests 60-95% of the time
  • Historical Status
  • This status is based on the latest sample, taken on . The Swim Guide - Florida updates the status of this beach as soon as test results become available. These results were posted to Swim Guide on at
For water quality icon legend, click:   
CURRENT WEATHER
31°C
A mix of sun and clouds
  • Report Pollution
MONITORING FREQUENCY

Dog Beach (Rickenbacker Causeway Beach) is sampled bi-weekly from March 1st to December 31st

SOURCE INFORMATION

The Florida Department of Health (DOH) adopted new water quality criteria January 2016 for the Healthy Beaches program. They reflect the most current recommendations and water quality grant requirements in the 2012 Recreational Water Quality Criteria from the US Environmental Protection Agency. Dade County beaches are monitored by the Florida Healthy Beaches Program.

Monitoring results are collected weekly on Mondays and results are posted to the Florida Healthy beaches website on Wednesday. Samples are collected year round, however the peak season is from March to November. Swim Guide checks for the latest information daily, Monday - Friday.

The Florida Healthy Beaches Program Categories are:

Good = 0-35 Enterococci / 100 mL of marine water;
Moderate = 36-70 Enterococci / 100 mL of marine water, and;
Poor = 71 or greater Enterococci / 100 mL of marine water.

The 2012 Recreational Water Quality Criteria recommends using 70 CFU per 100 mL as the Beach Action Value (BAV) to guide public health advisories. A Single Sample Maximum (SSM) at 70 CFU per 100 ml and a BAV are functionally the same. If the sample result is above the indicated value, the beach is resampled and tested the following day or a beach advisory is issued with the first test result. The Healthy Beaches program no longer uses geometric means to represent recreational water quality data.

On Swim Guide a beach is marked Green when it has a Good or Moderate standing meaning the SSM test results show Enterococci counts between 0- 70 cfu (colony forming units) / 100ml.
Swim Guide marks a beach Red when it has a Poor standing. This means the SSM test results show Enterococci counts exceeds the BAV of 70 cfu/100ml. These conservative advisories better inform vulnerable people (children, elderly, and the immunocompromised) who have elevated health risks due to water quality at the beach.
A beach is marked Grey when no current or reliable monitoring information is available.

Please note: Vibrio vulnificus bacteria, also called flesh eating disease, is a naturally occurring bacteria in some of Florida's waters. This bacteria can be lethal, especially when contracted by individuals with compromised immune systems. Concentrations of the bacteria are higher in the mouths of rivers near oceans. The bacteria is most dangerous when ingested in raw seafood but recent deaths are attributed to individuals who have waded in water with broken skin. Beach goers are urged to use caution and consult a physician if you suspect you have come in contact with the bacteria.

WATER QUALITY GRAPH

Dog Beach (Rickenbacker Causeway Beach)

Key Biscayne, Florida
Managed by The Swim Guide - Florida
WATER QUALITY
  • Passed water quality tests 60-95% of the time
  • Historical Status
  • This status is based on the latest sample, taken on . The Swim Guide - Florida updates the status of this beach as soon as test results become available. These results were posted to Swim Guide on at
For water quality icon legend, click:   
CURRENT WEATHER
31°C
A mix of sun and clouds

Just at the foot of Rickenbacker Bridge when you cross over on to Key Biscayne, you'll find Dog Beach. Dogs are welcome but must be leashed. Enjoy fantastic views of the city and plentiful equipment rentals such as windsurfers, kayaks, stand-up paddle boards, hobie cats and sunfish sailboats. Because people often forget to clean up when they use this popular dog and picnic area, you should be careful of where you step. There have been swimming warnings here in the past. But, when it's clean and safe, this is a fantastic spot to enjoy all kinds of water-based recreation!

  • Report Pollution
MONITORING FREQUENCY

Dog Beach (Rickenbacker Causeway Beach) is sampled bi-weekly from March 1st to December 31st

SOURCE INFORMATION

The Florida Department of Health (DOH) adopted new water quality criteria January 2016 for the Healthy Beaches program. They reflect the most current recommendations and water quality grant requirements in the 2012 Recreational Water Quality Criteria from the US Environmental Protection Agency. Dade County beaches are monitored by the Florida Healthy Beaches Program.

Monitoring results are collected weekly on Mondays and results are posted to the Florida Healthy beaches website on Wednesday. Samples are collected year round, however the peak season is from March to November. Swim Guide checks for the latest information daily, Monday - Friday.

The Florida Healthy Beaches Program Categories are:

Good = 0-35 Enterococci / 100 mL of marine water;
Moderate = 36-70 Enterococci / 100 mL of marine water, and;
Poor = 71 or greater Enterococci / 100 mL of marine water.

The 2012 Recreational Water Quality Criteria recommends using 70 CFU per 100 mL as the Beach Action Value (BAV) to guide public health advisories. A Single Sample Maximum (SSM) at 70 CFU per 100 ml and a BAV are functionally the same. If the sample result is above the indicated value, the beach is resampled and tested the following day or a beach advisory is issued with the first test result. The Healthy Beaches program no longer uses geometric means to represent recreational water quality data.

On Swim Guide a beach is marked Green when it has a Good or Moderate standing meaning the SSM test results show Enterococci counts between 0- 70 cfu (colony forming units) / 100ml.
Swim Guide marks a beach Red when it has a Poor standing. This means the SSM test results show Enterococci counts exceeds the BAV of 70 cfu/100ml. These conservative advisories better inform vulnerable people (children, elderly, and the immunocompromised) who have elevated health risks due to water quality at the beach.
A beach is marked Grey when no current or reliable monitoring information is available.

Please note: Vibrio vulnificus bacteria, also called flesh eating disease, is a naturally occurring bacteria in some of Florida's waters. This bacteria can be lethal, especially when contracted by individuals with compromised immune systems. Concentrations of the bacteria are higher in the mouths of rivers near oceans. The bacteria is most dangerous when ingested in raw seafood but recent deaths are attributed to individuals who have waded in water with broken skin. Beach goers are urged to use caution and consult a physician if you suspect you have come in contact with the bacteria.

WATER QUALITY GRAPH



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