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.
Passed water quality tests at least 95% of the time
This status is based on the latest sample, take on July 31st, 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 8th at 4:21 PM.
Monitoring Frequency:
Dowie Dale is sampled
Weekly from
January 1st
to
September 15th
Water Quality Graph:
Interval:
Time Period:
About Dowie Dale
Dowie Dale Beach is rocky on the shores of Lake Ontario. The fishing at this site is considered to be excellent. A nearby camping site offers water and electricity.
Source Information
Oswego County samples beaches weekly from June to September. When sample results are reported, Lake Ontario Waterkeeper updates Swim Guide. Oswego County does not publish sample results online and there is no hotline. Check postings at the beach before you swim.
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.