Mactaquac Campers' Beach

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Located along the St. John River, this freshwater beach is a part of the Mactaquac Provincial Park. Created in the 1960s with the building of the Mactaquac dam, the park contains more than 300 campsites, hiking trails (one is wheelchair-accessible), a recreation centre, a golf course, a canteen and a restaurant. The beach itself is ideal for activities such as canoeing, windsurfing, swimming, fishing and sunbathing.

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COVID-19

Keep your distance from other people.

Practicing social distancing is still essential. Only go to the beach if you are able to keep 6 feet or 2 meters away from others. Follow the instructions provided by your local health authorities. If your community has asked that you remain indoors and away from others, do so. Spending a day in any crowded place is the worst thing we can do for our most vulnerable right now and will counter our efforts to curb the virus’s spread.

Water Quality

No data available
Current Status
This status is based on the latest sample, taken on August 25th, 2020. CCNB/Fundy Baykeeper updates the status of this beach as soon as test results become available. These results were posted to Swim Guide on August 25th, 2020 at 1:50 PM.

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Monitoring Frequency

Source Information

This beach follows the “Water Monitoring Protocol for Provincial Park Beaches” and is in accordance with the Guidelines for Canadian Recreational Water Quality.

During the swimming season, five water samples shall be collected, as practically as is possible, on the scheduled sampling day. The Department of Environment and Local Government (DELG) is responsible for the oversight of sample collection for the purpose of compliance monitoring and ensuring proper training is provided.vThe samples are analyzed for enterococci and Escherichia coli (E.coli), by an accredited laboratory. The results are received by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health (OCMOH) and interpreted based on the Guidelines for Canadian Recreational Water Quality. Upon receiving the results, OCMOH posts the results online. Meanwhile, the Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture (THC) is responsible for physically updating Informative Beach Signs at designated areas.

For E.coli, the geometric mean of the 5 samples must be equal to or less than 200 E.coli/100 ml and all single samples must be equal to or less than 400 E.coli/100 ml. Test results are expressed as Most Probable Number (MPN) of cfu (colony forming units) per 100 ml. It can take up to 48 hours between the sample collection date and the posting of results. This is due to the time it takes to collect the samples, send them to the lab, and complete the analysis. On occasion, the collection of all required samples may not be possible due to weather/environmental conditions, safety concerns or other unforeseen circumstances beyond control.

The Conservation Council of New Brunswick is responsible for communicating the results daily to Swim Guide. Please note that the Conservation Council and Swim Guide are not affiliated with DELG, OCMOH, or THC.

The beach is marked Green on Swim Guide when the geometric mean and all single samples meet the criteria for E.coli.

The beach is marked Red on Swim Guide when the geometric mean or a single sample exceeds the criteria for E.coli. A beach will also be marked Red on Swim Guide if rainfall exceeds 10 mm within the previous 24 hour period.

The beach is marked Grey on Swim Guide when there are no current results available on the government website.

Please note that the protocol is subject to annual review, thus content on Swim Guide will be updated accordingly. For more detailed information on water quality monitoring in New Brunswick, please see the official page: http://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/ocmoh/health_advisories/beachadvisories.html

Water Quality Graph