Partners

The Oregon Beach Monitoring Program works collaboratively with a variety of organizations.

Government Agencies

US Environmental Protection Agency
EPA is authorized under the BEACH Act (October 2000) to award grants to eligible states, tribes, and territories to develop and implement beach water quality monitoring and notification programs at coastal and Great Lakes recreational waters near beaches.

Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
DEQ is a regulatory agency whose job is to protect and enhance Oregon's water and air quality, to clean up spills and releases of hazardous materials, and to manage the proper disposal of hazardous and solid wastes. DEQ is responsible for sample collection and analysis under the OBMP.

Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
OPRD operates Oregon's state parks, including those along the coast. The agency's aim is to provide and protect outstanding natural, scenic, cultural, historic and recreational sites for the enjoyment and education of present and future generations.

Coastal County Health Departments
County health departments along the Oregon coast work to protect public health from environmental and other hazards. For more information about a particular county health department, visit any of the following:
  -  Clatsop County
  -  Tillamook County
  -  Lincoln County
  -  Lane County
  -  Douglas County
  -  Coos County
  -  Curry County

Surfrider Foundation
The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world's oceans, waves and beaches for all people, through conservation, activism, research and education.

Earth911
The mission of Earth 911 is to empower the public with community-specific resources to improve their quality of life. DHS works with Earth911 to alert citizens of beach advisories through a web-based reporting and mapping system.

Natural Resources Defense Council
NRDC works to preserve and restore the rich diversity of ocean life and the quality of coastal waters, and is one of the nation's leading ocean water quality watchdog groups.

Oregon State University - Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC)
HMSC plays an integral role in programs of marine and estuarine research and instruction, as a laboratory facility serving resident scientists, as a base for far-ranging oceanographic studies, and as a classroom for students.

Oregon Coast Aquarium 
The OCA is a private, not-for-profit aquatic and marine science educational facility dedicated to teaching about marine wildlife and ocean preservation.  The OCA's youth volunteers and The Surfrider Foundation teamed up to create a Blue Water Task Force to monitor water quality along a 20-mile stretch of coastline from Ona Beach to Otter Rock. The sampling results are posted locally at two different surf shops in Newport, within the Aquarium, and on the Surfrider website.

Coastal Chambers of Commerce
Oregon's coastal cities and towns offer rich opportunities for scenic beauty, recreation, shopping and relaxation - even with a water contact advisory in place.

Coastal Surf & Water Sports Interests
Surfing is one of the most widely used forms of full-body water contact recreation along the Oregon coast. For information on local and coastal surf shops, visit the following any of the following:

• OregonSurf.Com - Contains a directory of surf shops, board shapers and surfing lesson providers. Also provides National Weather Service forecasting tools to forecast surfing conditions along the coast.
  
• OregonSurfCheck.Com - Provides 1-hour updates on current marine and near-shore conditions using Navy WAM data, NOAA buoy data, and other sources.