California Safe-to-Swim Network
Sub-Workgroups
Progress Reports and Goals | Meetings | Tools | More Information | Internships | Workshops
Background
- The collaborative Beach Water Quality Workgroup initially formed in Southern California in 1998 to coordinate ocean beach water quality related monitoring, pollution abatement, public education, and public notification efforts.
- In 2004 the Central/Northern California Ocean and Bay Water Quality Monitoring Group was formed with the same mission.
- Under the oversight of the Monitoring Council, a new Safe-to-Swim Workgroup was convened in 2010 to coordinate monitoring and assessment of swimming safety statewide, expanding the focus to include inland freshwater swimming, and to manage and enhance the My Water Quality web portal "Is It Safe to Swim In Our Waters?".
- In November 2015, Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program staff from the Lahontan, North Coast, and Central Valley Regional Water Boards volunteered to coordinate monitoring and assessment of swimming safety for inland waters, forming the Inland Beaches Workgroup.
- DRAFT Safe to Swim Charter
Meetings
2022 - Agendas and Support Material
- December 13, 2022
- 2nd National Workshop on Marine Environmental DNA
- September 12-13, 2022
This workshop followed the First National Conference on Marine Environmental DNA, held November 29-30, 2018 at the Rockefeller University in New York. The first workshop focused on establishing a long-term vision for eDNA as a powerful, dependable, and efficient tool for ocean observation. The purpose of this workshop was to build on that success by identifying the opportunities for partnerships between researchers and agencies to close science research gaps and transition molecular methods into environmental management. Recordings, presentation materials, and virtual posters can be found here: 2nd National Workshop on Marine Environmental DNA
- September 12-13, 2022
- 2022 Bacteria Summit
- The State Water Resources Control Board and the California Stormwater Quality Association co-hosted a three-day statewide summit on bacteria from September 14-16, 2022. The purpose of the summit was to provide a collaborative opportunity to identify the technical and regulatory actions needed to have waters that are safe to swim and shellfish that are safe to eat, as well as to discuss the process to implement those actions. Recordings and presentation material are posted here: www.casqa.org/events/bacteria-summit
- June 21, 2022
- March 15, 2022
- Agenda
- Fluidion E.coli Analyzer (Video)
Website: www.fluidion.com/en/ - Modeling Untreated Wastewater Evolution and Swimmer Illness US/MX Border Region (Video)
Modeling Untreated Wastewater Evolution and Swimmer Illness for Four Wastewater Infrastructure Scenarios in the San Diego-Tijuana (US/MX) Border Region
Surfers were right: Imperial Beach is polluted with Tijuana sewage even in summer, study confirms - SWAMP Fecal Indicator Bacteria MQOs Update (Video)
SWAMP Measurement Quality Objectives (MQOs) - Fecal Indicator Bacteria (PDF)
2021 - Agendas and Support Material
- December 14, 2021
2020 - Agendas and Support Material
2019 - Agendas and Support Material
- December 12, 2019
- Agenda
- Santa Ana River Watershed Bacteria Monitoring Program - Dave Woelfel - SARWQCB
- Monitoring Plan San Diego Investigative Order: Workplan to Quantify the Sources of Human Fecal Material to the Lower San Diego - Ken Schiff, John Griffith, Joshua Steele - SCCWRP
- River Watershed Developing and Implementing Predictive Models for Estimating Recreational Water Quality at Great Lakes Beaches - Donna Francy and Amie Brady, -USGS
- September 19, 2019
- Agenda
- Presentation Material
- Participatory Science for Beach Water Quality: Estimating Impacts from Freshwater Discharges - Wiley Jennings, Stanford Univ.
- Draft - Safe to Swim Network Inland Beach Monitoring Workgroup Fecal Indicator Bacteria Voluntary Guidance Document - Patrick Seaman, UCLA
- Documenting and Addressing Homeless Encampments and Impacts within the San Diego River Watershed - Rob Hutsel, San Diego River Park Foundation
2018 - Agendas and Support Material
- July 20, 2018
- Agenda
- Presentation Material
- Water Quality and the Homeless - Megan Brousseau, IEWK
- Work Group Meeting Introduction and Charter Information - K. Jones, DWR
- Work Group History - E. Burres, SWRCB
- Outreach and Enrichment - E. Burres, SWRCB
- Update on the State Water Boards Bacteria Provisions - L. Starkey
- Video
- Introduction to the Work Group and Monitoring Council - Kris Jones, DWR
- Safe-to-Swim Work Group Background - Erick Burres, SWRCB
- Update on the Bacteria Provisions (State Water Boards Bacterial Objectives) - Lark Starkey, SWRCB
- Watershed Monitoring and Management Programs & Homelessness - Megan Brousseau, Inland Empire Water Keeper
- Outreach & Enrichment Work Group Efforts - Erick Burres, SWRCB
- Safe to Swim Work Group Meeting - Entire Webcast Recording
- Presentation Material
- Agenda
Progress Reports and Goals
- Safe-toSwim Workgroup Triennial Audit Report to the Monitoring Council
- Presentation by Michael Gjerde (December 12, 2013)
- Freshwater Safe to Swim Survey
- Safe to Swim Workgroup Proposed 2013 Goals
- Safe to Swim Workgroup Progress Report 2012
- Safe to Swim Workgroup Progress Report 2011
- Safe to Swim Workgroup Progress Report 2010
Tools (State / Fed / Local)
A key component of the California Safe-to-Swim Workgroups is to promote and to support monitoring programs statewide to foster data comparability and collaboration with monitoring partners. The following links provide access to those tools.
- Methods and Standard Operating Procedures
- Quality Assurance
- Regulations and Guidance
- Beach Water Quality Information
- Data Management
- Financial Assistance for Beach Cleanup
- Reports
- Webinars
- California Water Quality Monitoring Collaboration Network
- January 20, 2018--Topic: Microbial Source Tracking by Source Molecular
- Leveraging Fecal DNA
- Human Fecal Scores
- Videos
- How to Use the EPA Sanitary Survey App - A Safe to Swim Network Training Webinar
- Swimmable California Webinar Series 2017-2018 Playlist
- September 20, 2017 - Topic: A Swimmable California: The Importance of Safe to Swim Policies and Programs
- October 18, 2017 - Topic: Fecal Indicator Bacteria Methods: The Good, Bad and Ugly
- November 22, 2017 - Topic: An Introduction to Water Contact Sanitary Surveys
- January 11, 2018 - Topic: Testing Sewer and Stormwater Infrastructure
- January 24, 2018 - Topic: Water Quality Improvement Projects and BMPs to Achieve a Swimmable California
- February 21, 2018 - Topic: Harmful Algal Blooms and Water Recreation
- March 21, 2018 - Topic: Molecular Source Tracking and Disease Detection
- April 18, 2018 - Topic: Beach Water Quality Modeling and NowCasting
- Microbial Source Tracking Playlist
- January 15, 2015 - Topic: Digital PCR, California's Source ID Manual, and US EPA tests: Developments in Microbial Source Tracking
- Enumeration Methods for E .coli and Enterococci (USEPA- January, 1986)
- March 24, 2010 - Microbial Source Tracking (MST)
- October 18, 2012 - The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board's Safe to Swim Program
- Enumeration Methods for E .coli and Enterococci (January, 1986)
- Microbial Source Tracking (MST)
- The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board's Safe to Swim Program
- APPS
- Accessibility
More Information
- For additional information on the coastal Beach Water Quality Monitoring Workgroup of Southern California or the Central/Northern California Ocean and Bay Water Quality Monitoring Group, please email Amanda Blackwell or call her at (916) 341-6899.
- You may also contact our Safe-to-Swim Workgroup co-facilitator and Citizen Monitoring Coordinator Erick Burres or phone him at (213) 576-6788
- For additional information on the Inland Beaches Workgroup, please email Alisha Wenzel or phone her at (916) 464-4717.
- California Water Quality Monitoring Council Member sponsors
-Regulated Community - Storm Water: Grant Sharp, Manager, Southern OC Watershed Management Area Orange County Public Works
-Public: Ray Hiemstra, Associate Director, Orange County Coastkeeper
Receive updates by email regarding activities of the California Safe-to-Swim Workgroup or its sub-workgroups. Subscribe online to the California Safe-to-Swim Workgroup email list. The California Safe-to-Swim Workgroup can be found under "General Interests" and the two Beach Water Quality Workgroups can be found under "Water Quality".