Beach Contamination Source Identification Techniques: Physical Characteristics of the Beach

and Surrounding Watershed

Door County Soil and Water

Conservation Department

Vinni Chomeau

Grant Funding Provided by:

Soil and Water Conservation Department Source Identification

28 Beaches Physical Characteristics

Watershed mapping and land use Impervious surface percentages Proximity to parking lots, storm

water outlets and other facilities Wind and wave action Current direction Near shore morphology Substrate type Rain data Avian use/avian waste

Substrate

Slope

Distance to Sample

BEACH MORPHOLOGY

Near Shore Morphology & Substrate Type

Ephraim Beach School House Beach

BEACH WATERSHED MAPPING

Watershed During the Swim Season

Water Modeling Software

• Establishes flow channels based on contour lines and quantity of flow channels up gradient.

Watershed Mapping

Baileys Harbor Watershed

Fish Creek Beach Watershed

Fish Creek Beach Watershed

Fish Creek Beach Bay Land Use – Impervious Surfaces

Fish Creek Land Coverage Percentages - Runoff Potential

Fish Creek Beach Wastewater Treatment Region

Fish Creek Beach SubstratePlant & Animal Waste Accumulations

Ephraim Beach Bay Land Use

Ephraim Beach Land Use

STORMWATER CONVEYANCE SYSTEMS

Stormwater Conveyance Systems

Fish Creek Beach Stormwater Conveyance System

Fish Creek Beach Impervious Surfaces

Ephraim Beach Stormwater Conveyance

Quantification of Physical Characteristics

• Used to create a correlation matrix between physical features and E. coli counts to determine how physical features influence E. coli levels.

•Provide maps that identify location of potential E. coli sources.•Maps can be used to assist in determining future sample sites.

Qualitative Value of Physical Characteristics