Research Areas > Beach Water Quality > Microbial Source Tracking > Clean Beach Task Force Source Identification Team

Project: Clean Beach Task Force Source Identification Team

Background and Objectives

The State Water Resources Control Board’s (SWRCB’s) Clean Beach Task Force (CBTF) advises the SWRCB on how best to allocate Proposition 84 funds toward improving beach water quality. The CBTF has already made progress in identifying contamination sources at some beaches that routinely fail water quality standards. They also work with local communities to assist them in preparing proposals for Prop 84 funds that address their particular problem. However, at some beaches, the source of fecal bacteria contamination is unknown. To address this issue, the CBTF created a Source Identification Team to help develop and implement methodologies to identify unknown bacterial sources.

The goal of this project is to coordinate and support activities of the Source ID team. The objectives are to (1) develop protocols for source identification, (2) identify sources of beach contamination on a site-specific basis, and (3) provide recommendations for management practices that can be implemented by the local community to reduce or eliminate those sources.

Status

This project was initiated in 2008 with anticipated completion in 2012.

Methods

The source identification program will be developed in a phased approach. First, the highest priority beaches will be identified. Next bacterial sources within these watersheds will be identified and prioritized. Based on results within these high priority watersheds, a set of investigative protocols will be adopted and laboratory personnel trained to perform these analyses. Source identification studies will be implemented at a variety of beaches within watersheds having different land uses, including urbanized, agricultural/rural, and combined urban/rural watersheds. Following these high priority studies, the same protocols for source investigation can be implemented at other beaches as resources become available.

A kickoff meeting of the Source ID team was held December 8. A laboratory intercalibration study is planned for March 2009, to standardize methods for assessing beach contamination among local laboratories. In addition, four beaches were initially identified by the Source ID team for field studies in summer 2009, which will correspond with SCCWRP’s Bight’08 sampling efforts. These beach locations are: Baker Beach in San Francisco, Arroyo Burro Beach in Santa Barbara, Surfrider Beach in Malibu, and Poche Beach in San Clemente.

Partners

This project is being conducted with collaborators from Stanford University, UCLA, UCSB, and the State Water Resources Control Board.

Presentation

Clean Beach Task Force Source Identification Pilot Program - January 2009 presentation to SCCWRP member agencies describing the Source ID Pilot Program's background, goals, and methods.