Oregon Health Authority

Emergency Messages as of 4:48 PM, Fri. May 15

No information currently posted.

Subscribe to receive FlashAlert messages from Oregon Health Authority.

Manage my existing Subscription

News Release

OHA Kicks Off 2026 Oregon Beach Monitoring Season - 05/15/26

May 15, 2026

Media contact: Erica Heartquist, PHD.Communications@oha.oregon.gov

OHA kicks off 2026 Oregon beach monitoring season

Agency shares safety tips for coastal beach visitors

Editors: A media kit with videos of Linda Novitski, Ph.D., recreational waters specialist at OHA, discussing beach monitoring, is available on our media resources webpage. You can also watch a video about Oregon’s beach monitoring effort on our YouTube channel.

PORTLAND, Ore.—The Oregon Beach Monitoring Program is kicking off the 2026 beach monitoring season, a joint effort between Oregon Health Authority and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality that monitors about two dozen of Oregon’s most used beaches for fecal bacteria between May and September.

Unsafe levels of fecal bacteria can cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, skin rashes, upper respiratory infections, and other illnesses. Children, the elderly and those with a compromised immune system should use extra caution as they are more vulnerable to illness from waterborne bacteria.

Through the Beach Monitoring Program, DEQ regularly samples marine water and freshwater at 25 beaches along Oregon’s 360 miles of coastline between May and September. To protect public health, OHA issues advisories at beaches where bacteria levels in marine waters are high.

The following Oregon beaches are being monitored during 2026, including beach name, and the city and county in which they are located:

Monitored locations include beaches where the Beach Monitoring Program has found bacteria in the past, or beaches for which local partners and the public have requested monitoring due to potential pollution concerns.

When visiting the Oregon Coast, the Beach Monitoring Program encourages visitors to remember the following tips to protect :

  • Check for advisories before you head to the beach.
  • If a beach is under advisory:
    • Avoid swimming and swallowing ocean water.
    • Avoid swimming in nearby creeks, pools of water on the beach, or in discolored water, and stay clear of water runoff flowing into the ocean. Levels of fecal bacteria can be higher in these types of water sources.
    • Shower after playing at the beach.
    • Wash your hands before eating or drinking.
    • Enjoy activities such as picnicking, beach walking and kite flying.

Note: Beach advisories are only issued for beaches that are actively being monitored within the May to Sept. sampling window. However, unsafe levels of fecal bacteria in ocean waters can come from both shore and inland sources including:

  • Stormwater runoff
  • Sewer overflows
  • Failing septic systems
  • Animal waste from livestock, pets and wildlife

Even if no advisory is in effect, avoid swimming in the ocean within 48 hours after a rainstorm.

For more information and current beach monitoring conditions please visit: www.healthoregon.org/beach, or contact the Beach Monitoring Program at Beach.Health@oha.oregon.gov or 1-877-290-6767.

OHA Kicks Off 2026 Oregon Beach Monitoring Season - 05/15/26

May 15, 2026

Media contact: Erica Heartquist, PHD.Communications@oha.oregon.gov

OHA kicks off 2026 Oregon beach monitoring season

Agency shares safety tips for coastal beach visitors

Editors: A media kit with videos of Linda Novitski, Ph.D., recreational waters specialist at OHA, discussing beach monitoring, is available on our media resources webpage. You can also watch a video about Oregon’s beach monitoring effort on our YouTube channel.

PORTLAND, Ore.—The Oregon Beach Monitoring Program is kicking off the 2026 beach monitoring season, a joint effort between Oregon Health Authority and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality that monitors about two dozen of Oregon’s most used beaches for fecal bacteria between May and September.

Unsafe levels of fecal bacteria can cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, skin rashes, upper respiratory infections, and other illnesses. Children, the elderly and those with a compromised immune system should use extra caution as they are more vulnerable to illness from waterborne bacteria.

Through the Beach Monitoring Program, DEQ regularly samples marine water and freshwater at 25 beaches along Oregon’s 360 miles of coastline between May and September. To protect public health, OHA issues advisories at beaches where bacteria levels in marine waters are high.

The following Oregon beaches are being monitored during 2026, including beach name, and the city and county in which they are located:

Monitored locations include beaches where the Beach Monitoring Program has found bacteria in the past, or beaches for which local partners and the public have requested monitoring due to potential pollution concerns.

When visiting the Oregon Coast, the Beach Monitoring Program encourages visitors to remember the following tips to protect :

  • Check for advisories before you head to the beach.
  • If a beach is under advisory:
    • Avoid swimming and swallowing ocean water.
    • Avoid swimming in nearby creeks, pools of water on the beach, or in discolored water, and stay clear of water runoff flowing into the ocean. Levels of fecal bacteria can be higher in these types of water sources.
    • Shower after playing at the beach.
    • Wash your hands before eating or drinking.
    • Enjoy activities such as picnicking, beach walking and kite flying.

Note: Beach advisories are only issued for beaches that are actively being monitored within the May to Sept. sampling window. However, unsafe levels of fecal bacteria in ocean waters can come from both shore and inland sources including:

  • Stormwater runoff
  • Sewer overflows
  • Failing septic systems
  • Animal waste from livestock, pets and wildlife

Even if no advisory is in effect, avoid swimming in the ocean within 48 hours after a rainstorm.

For more information and current beach monitoring conditions please visit: www.healthoregon.org/beach, or contact the Beach Monitoring Program at Beach.Health@oha.oregon.gov or 1-877-290-6767.