Best and Worst Beaches of Summer 2016
While swimmers and paddlers can be found plying BC's waters year-round, the end of the Labour Day weekend marks the end of swimmable water season for most of Canada. As the days are getting longer with Fall fast approaching, Fraser Riverkeeper and Swim Guide are taking a look back at some of the best and worst beaches of the 2016 swimming season, from May 20th to September 6th.
The best beaches of 2016 by region were:
Bowen Island - Turnstall Bay (100% Safe)
Fraser Valley - Crescent Beach (100% Safe)
Garibaldi & Sunshine Coast - Robert's Creek Beach (100% Safe)
Interior - Canoe Park Beach (88.24% Safe)
Islands - Tribune Bay Bathing Beach (94.06% Safe)
Vancouver - Jericho Beach (100% Safe)
On the other end of the spectrum, BC’s five worst beaches for 2016 were:
East False Creek, Vancouver (77.06% Unsafe)
Snug Cove, Bowen Island (65.56% Unsafe)
Oasis Beach/Trail 7, Vancouver (62.39% Unsafe)
Sandy Beach, Bowen Island (55.56% Unsafe)
Trout Lake, Vancouver (53.21% Unsafe)
The vast majority of these closures were the result of elevated levels of fecal coliform bacteria, such as E. coli and enterococci. According to Health Canada, the recreational water guideline for primary contact (swimming) is 200 bacteria per 100 ml of water; while the guideline for secondary contact (paddling and splashing) is 1000 bacteria per 100 ml of water.
Stay informed about closures at your local beaches! Click here to download Swim Guide today!