a EPA's BEACH Report:
Indiana 2006 Swimming Season
June 2007
Introduction
The BEACH Act of 2000 requires that coastal
and Great Lakes states and territories report
to EPA on beach monitoring and notification
data for their coastal recreation waters.
The BEACH Act defines coastal recreation
waters as the Great Lakes and coastal waters
(including coastal estuaries) that states,
territories, and authorized tribes officially
recognize or designate for swimming,
bathing, surfing, or similar activities in the
water.
This fact sheet summarizes beach monitoring
and notification data submitted to EPA by
the State of Indiana for the 2006 swimming
season.
Figure 1. Indiana coastal counties with
2006 monitored beach data.
La Porte
Table 1. Breakdown of monitored and
unmonitored coastal beaches by
county.

Total

Not
County
Beaches
Monitored
Monitored
LA PORTE
10
10
0
LAKE
9
9
0
PORTER
10
10
0
TOTALS
29
29
0

EPAxxx-X-xx-xxx

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2006 Summary Results
How many beaches had notification
actions?
When monitoring of water at beaches
shows that levels of certain bacteria exceed
standards, Indiana's beach managers post
a beach advisory, warning people of the
possible risks of swimming, or formally
notify the public that the beach is closed.
Of the 29 coastal beaches that were
monitored in 2006, 15, or 52 percent, had at
least one advisory during the 2006 season
(Figure 2).
How many notification actions were
reported and how long were they?
A total of 58 beach notification actions were
reported in the 2006 swimming season.
Actions were of relatively short duration,
however. Figure 3 presents breakdowns of
action durations.
What percentage of days were beaches
under a notification action?
For Indiana's 2006 swimming season,
EPA determined there were a total of
3,006 beach days associated with the 29
monitored beaches. Actions were reported
on 97 of those days or about 3 percent of
the time (Figure 4).
How do 2006 results compare to
previous years?
Beginning in 2003, states are required to
submit data to EPA under the BEACH Act
for beaches which are in coastal and Great
Lakes waters. Table 2 compares 2006 data
with data reported in previous years.
Figure 2:
Monitored
Beaches
with and
without
notification
actions.
Monitored
beaches without
actions: 14
(48%)
Monitored
beaches with
actions: 15
(52%)
Figure 3: Beach notification actions by duration.
60
<2 50
~ 40
o
< 30
o
6
20
10
0
50




.



O
~
0
1 -2
3-7 8-30
>30

Duration of Actions (days)

Figure 4:
For More Information
For general information about beaches:
www.epa.gov/beaches/
For information about beaches in Indiana:
www.earth911 .org/waterquality/default.
asp?cluster=18
Table 2. Beach notification actions,
2004-2006.

2004
2005
2006
Number of
monitored
beaches
25
25
29
Number of
beaches affected
by notification
actions
21
12
15
Percentage of
beaches affected
by notification
actions
84%
48%
52%
Beach days with
_ no action:
2,909
(97%)
Beach days with
and without
notification
actions.
Beach days
with an action:
97
(3%)

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