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