Health Advisories Lifted for Water Contact at Three Coastal Locations

State health officials gave a clean bill of health to Cannon Beach, Rockaway Beach and D River State Park Beach in Lincoln City.

Scene from last year's surf contest in Lincoln City Photo By: Tim King

(SALEM) - Health advisories for contact with ocean water at Cannon Beach in Clatsop County, Rockaway Beach in Tillamook County and D River State Park Beach in Lincoln County were lifted Thursday afternoon by the Oregon Department of Human Services, in conjunction with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.

The advisories were issued on Wednesday after water samples at Cannon Beach, Rockaway Beach and D River State Park Beach showed higher-than-normal levels of enterococcus, a type of fecal bacteria, in the marine water. Subsequent testing showed the contamination had subsided and the waters did not pose a higher-than- normal risk associated with water-contact activities.

State officials encourage recreational activities at all Oregon beaches, suggesting only that water contact be avoided when advisories are in effect.

Since 2003, state officials have used a federal Environmental Protection Agency grant to monitor popular Oregon beaches and make timely reports to the public about elevated levels of fecal bacteria. Oregon state agencies participating in this program are the Oregon Department of Human Services, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. More detailed test results are available at www.healthoregon.org/beach.