Biinaagami is a multimedia, change-provoking initiative rooted in Indigenous knowledges. Through ceremony, mapping, inclusive storytelling, augmented reality, experiential learning, community water hubs and ecosystem restoration, Biinaagami aims to rebuild just and healthy relations between wildlife, people and place in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence watershed.
This status is based on the latest sample, take on August 8th, 2023
Lake Ontario Waterkeeper updates the status of this beach as soon as
test results become available. These results were posted to Swim Guide
on August 11th at 4:37 PM.
Monitoring Frequency:
Southwick Beach State Park is sampled
Weekly from
June 12th
to
September 15th
Water Quality Graph:
Interval:
Time Period:
About Southwick Beach State Park
Southwick Beach offers a long stretch of sandy shoreline, perfect for swimming in Lake Ontario. For nature-lovers, be sure to check out the nearby Lakeview Wildlife Management Area, home to the environmentally-sensitive coastal sand dunes.
*This beach is set to grey because water sampling information is unavailable. Always obey signs posted at the beach.*
Source Information
Thousand Islands State Park samples beaches weekly from June 12 to September 4. When sample results are shared via park staff (by calling each park individually), Lake Ontario Waterkeeper updates Swim Guide.
Recreational public beaches in upstate New York are tested at least once every week typically from mid-June to September. Freshwater beaches in New York are posted when a single sample exceeds 235 E. coli / 100 ml or when the geometric mean of samples collected over a 30-day period exceeds 126 E. coli / 100 ml. Chapter I of the State Sanitary Code Subpart 6-2 includes more criteria for freshwater quality, but most monitoring agencies rely on the E. coli standard.
In the USA, the Environmental Protection Agency has two sets of recommendations for freshwater and marine beaches. A single sample at a freshwater beach should not exceed 235 E. coli / 100 ml of water. A single sample at a marine beach should not exceed 104 Enterococci / 100 ml of water. The geometric mean of 5 samples from a freshwater beach should not exceed 126 E. coli / 100 ml of water. The geometric mean of 5 samples from a marine beach should not exceed 35 Enterococci / 100 ml of water. States may choose to use this standard or they may substitute a standard that is "as protective as" the EPA's recommendation. The Beach Act is the nation's primary beach protection law.