Ratings Criteria

The National Healthy Beaches Campaign (NHBC) promotes balance between recreational use of our nation’s beaches and maintaining the environmental quality and safety of this prized resource. The NHBC rating is applicable for both Resort/Urban and Rural/Park beaches. The criteria for the latter is slightly less stringent than for resort and urban beaches, as they frequently have less facilities and little or no commercial development.


Resort/Urban and Rural/Parks Beaches

I. WATER QUALITY

" Water quality evaluation is one of the most important determining factors for beach certification. Healthy Beaches are required to regularly evaluate their water quality to determine whether the water is safe for bathing purposes. Sampling should be done on a 30-day geometric mean, which is the mean of all individual samples collected during five or more sampling events representatively taken over a 30-day period. Currently, for five plus sampling events, this is 35/100mm for Enterococci (marine) and for E.Coli 126/100mm. A beach shall use these EPA recommended water quality guidelines (or "as protective" per EPA guidelines) obtained from Government reports during the 2003/04 high-use season. Water quality standards define a measurable relationship between the quantity of the bacterial indicator in the water and the potential risk to human health associated with recreational water usage. E. coli and Enterococci show the strongest relationship with swimming-associated gastrointestinal illness.

Bacteriological Indicators*

Enterococci (marine) /100mm

E. coli (fresh water) /100mm

*The NHBC will obtain this information from the US EPA. www.epa.gov/waterscience/beaches/local/statrept.pdf

• Beach Closures (on an annual basis):
0 1 - 2 3 - 4 5 - 6 more than 6
 
• Algae in water and on the beach (rate by severity)
0 (absent) 1 2 3 4 (infested)
 
• Red tide (number of occurences annually)
0 (absent) 1 2 3 4
 

II. SAND QUALITY

• Beach width at low tide
Narrow (<30 ft.) 30-100 ft. 100-200 ft. Very wide (>200 ft.)  
 
• Oil and tar balls washed up on the beach (number of occurences annually)
0 1 2 3 4
 
• Seaweed/Jellyfish on the beach (number of occurences annually)
0 1 2 3 4
 
• Domestic animals allowed on the beach (e.g., dogs)?
Yes No      

If yes, are pooper scoopers used?________________________

If yes, is there someone patroling the area to enforce proper clean-up 'pooper scooper ' use? ____________________________________________________________
 
• Trash, litter, and glass , etc. at the start of the day*.
A (rare) B C D (much)  

*See note at the end of criteria section.
Is a beach sweeper used (please describe frequency)?_________________________
 
• Beach material
Fine sand Medium sand Coarse sand Cobbles Rocky/Muddy
 
• Bathing area bottom conditions
Fine sand Medium sand Coarse sand Cobbles Rocky/Muddy
 
• Well-kept grounds/promenades or natural environment
Yes No      
 

III. SAFETY

• Is a public warning system in place to promptly alert the public in the event that the beach becomes unsafe (e.g. inclement weather conditions), unsanitary, or unhealthy in any manner?
Yes No      
 
• Are recordings kept of emergencies that happen?
Yes No      
 
• Rip currents
Never present Occasionally present Frequently present    
 
• Any drownings (on an annual basis)?
Yes No      
If yes, provide information. __________________________
 
• Shorebreaks (large waves breaking directly on the beach)
Never present Occasionally present Frequently present    
 
• Any major neck injuries or deaths (on an annual basis)?
Yes No      
If yes, provide information. _______________________________________
 
• Lifeguards (strongly recommended, but not required)
Present Absent      
 
• If not, is there adequate safety equipment on the beach?
Yes No      
 
If unguarded, are adequate warnings/enclosures in place regarding potential hazards (e.g., rips, beach construction, etc.)?
Yes No      
 
• Mosquito or other pest outbreaks requiring major spraying (i.e., West Nile Virus)
Yes No      

If yes, please provide information. _______________________________________
 
• Longshore currents (during the bathing season)
Weak Moderate Strong    
 
• Beach slope (underwater)
Gently sloping bottom Moderately sloping bottom
Steeply sloping bottom Presence of deep holes or drop offs
 
• Shark attacks (on an annual basis)
None Some      

If you answered some, please provide information.

________________________________________________________________
 
• Public safety (e.g., pickpockets, crime)
No problems Occasional incidents A problem area    
 
• Is there public information (e.g. local ordinances, laws, safety education) prominently posted with phone numbers and directions to the nearest life/safety services?
Hospital Police Coast Guard Local Authority  
 
• Is there a public information center or lifeguard base where information may be shown?
Yes No      
 
• Is first aid available on the beach?
Yes No      
 
• Are there any storm water overflows or sewage pipes nearby?
Yes No      
 

IV. ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY & MANAGEMENT

Healthy Beaches should promote peaceful and protective coexistance of sensitive plant/wildlife habitats with human recreation (e.g. turtle nesting; marked zones for swimmers, surfers and motorized craft).

• Can you estimate the number of people in the water at peak period?____________
 
• Vegetation nearby (i.e., sea oats, mangroves, trees, dunes)*
None Few Many    

*These natural environments help prevent erosion and lessen storm damage
 
• Any exotic or invasive species present?
Yes No      

If yes, please list information_____________________________________________
 
• If sensitive areas exist, for example dunes, are facilities present such as boardwalks?
Yes No      
 
• Presence of seawalls, riprap, and concrete/rubble (that replaces natural habitats)
None Few Many    
 
• Buildings/urbanism
Pristine/wild A few buildings
Many structures, but not offensive Overdeveloped
 
• Misfits (nuclear power station, offshore dumping)
Yes No      

If yes, please describe information________________________________________
 
• Off-road vehicles (during the beach season)
None present Few present Common    
 
• Intensity of beach use
Ample open space Many people Crowded Overcrowded  

Can you give a figure for the peak period?_______________________________
 
• If there a zonation system in place? For example, bathing, surfing, turtle nests, etc.?
Yes No      
 
• Has the beach a history of erosion problems?
Yes No      

If yes, can you give a figure as to how much per annum?______________________
 

V. SERVICES

The facilities at a Healthy Beach must be kept clean and safe at all times.

• Bathroom facilities availability
Present Absent      

If present, what is their condition?
Clean, good condition Dirty, unkempt  
 
• Are there facilities for people with disabilities?
Yes No      
 
• Shower facilities availability
Present Absent      

If present, what is their condition?
Clean, good condition Dirty, unkempt  
 
• Snack bars/restaurants
Present Absent      
 
• Recycling recepticles
Available None available      
 
• Parking availability
Parking available Difficult to find parking Cars turned away    
If cars turned away, how many days in the year does this occur?_________________
 
• Drinking water for public - clearly marked and protected within walking
distance from the beach
Yes No      
 
• Public telephones - working and within walking distance from beach
Yes No      
 
• Beach Access
Good access Limited access Access a problem    
 
• Access for people with disabilities (e.g. ramp)
Yes No      
 


Litter Categories for grading a beach (in no particular order)

 
Category
Type
A
B
C
D
1
Sewage Related Debris
General e.g. condom
0
1-5
6-14
>15
Q tips
0-9
10-49
50-99
>100
2
Large Litter
e.g. grocery cart, chair
0
1-5
6-14
>15
3
General Litter
e.g. cola can, water bottle
0-49
50-499
500-999
>1000
4
Harmful Litter
Broken Glass
0
1-5
6-24
>25
Other e.g. syringe
0
1-4
5-9
>10
5
Piles of material
e.g. debris, seaweed
0
1-4
5-9
>10
6
Oil
 
None
Trace
Noticeable
Objectionable
7
Feces
 
0
1-5
6-24
>25

Reference: EA/NALG, (2000), "Assessment of Aesthetic Quality of Coastal and Bathing Beaches", Monitoring Protocol and Classification Scheme, UK Environmental Agency.

Procedure

  1. Find an access point - if possible the main one - to the beach.
  2. Select points fifty yards either side of the access point and stretching from the high tide waterline to the backshore.
  3. Count the number of litter items within this area for each of the above seven categories.
  4. For each row (category), circle the box associated with the counted number.
  5. Take the letter grade of the furthermost (to the right) circled box and enter it into the sand quality sectional box.


 
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