New closure and reopening protocols at King County’s lake beaches will better protect public health

Environmental scientists collect water samples each week from all King County lake beaches and test them for bacteria. Our scientists look through the data for potential public health risks. Depending on the results, we close or open beaches to keep people safe. This year, we’re changing how we make beach closure and reopen decisions. These changes are in line with the latest science.

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Public Health reopens Discovery Park beaches after West Point emergency bypass

Public Health – Seattle & King County on Monday afternoon reopened North and South beaches at Discovery Park. These two beaches were closed Friday in an abundance of caution after a West Point sewage bypass into Puget Sound. Water quality tests conducted over the past three days have all come back under the state standard. […]

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Quartermaster Harbor beaches closed for shellfish harvesting

Paralytic Shellfish Poison (PSP) has been detected at unsafe levels in Quartermaster Harbor shellfish on Vashon-Maury Island.  As a result, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has closed Quartermaster Harbor beaches to recreational shellfish harvest. The closure includes all species of shellfish including clams, geoduck, scallops, mussels, oysters, snails and other invertebrates; the closure […]

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Public Health investigating possible outbreak at a Lake Sammamish swimming beach

Update 9/2/16 Tibbetts Beach at Lake Sammamish is approved to reopen. Public Health is aware of 15 people who got ill after swimming at Tibbetts Beach on Friday, August 26th. Based on their symptoms, the timing between when they swam and became ill, and the duration of illness, we suspect that the likely cause was […]

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