Parkview Island Kayak Launch

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Surfrider Foundation’s Blue Water Task Force (BWTF) is a volunteer-run, community science initiative and water quality monitoring program. Surfrider Chapters across the country use this program to alert citizens and officials in their communities about water quality problems and to work toward solutions. The Surfrider Miami BWTF team currently samples 6 public beach locations along the coast of Miami-Dade County, from Miami Beach to Sunny Isles. These 6 beaches are the locations that are tested weekly by the Florida Department of Health Florida Healthy Beaches Program. Surfrider Miami’s Blue Water Task Force tests beach sites for enterococcus, a coliform bacteria that indicates fecal pollution. The BWTF lab is in operation year-round with samples being collected at each site every Thursday. Results are available 24 hours later and posted by Saturday morning. Blue Water Task Force results are compared to water quality criteria established by the EPA to protect public health in recreational waters. Test results are expressed as the Most Probable Number (MPN) of enterococcus cfu (colony forming units) per 100 mL seawater by using the IDEXX Quanti-Tray/2000 MPN Table. All water quality results are posted online and are publicly available. Anyone may view or download the results at go.surfrider.org/BWTF and miami.surfrider.org/BWTF. Weekly water quality reports are also distributed via email the day after sampling occurs (sign up here to receive water quality notifications). BWTF results from Miami can also be found on Miami's Surfline.com reports and our Alexa App called “Miami Surf Report!” Additionally, we have partnered with Ballyhoo Media to display water quality results on their floating platform cruising along Miami Beach, which reaches about 10,000-15,000 beachgoers an hour. Bacteria levels are correlated to the Florida Healthy Beaches Program Categories with sites being marked green (good) where there is 0-35 Enterococci / 100 mL of marine water, yellow (moderate) when there is 36-70 Enterococci / 100 mL of marine water, and red (poor) when there is 71 or greater Enterococci indicated / 100 mL of marine water. On Swim Guide, a beach is marked green when there is good to moderate results indicated and are marked red when results indicate poor water quality. Any additional questions about Surfrider Miami’s Blue Water Task Force program or our results can be addressed to Christi LeMahieu: bwtf@miami.surfrider.org