Okaloosa saltwater beach monitoring March 1: No advisories

Ft. Walton Beach, Fla– The Florida Department of Health in Okaloosa County (DOH-Okaloosa) reported Wednesday that no health advisories are issued for any of the saltwater beach sites it monitors through the Healthy Beaches Monitoring Program from testing conducted March 1, 2021.

DOH-Okaloosa conducts bi-weekly saltwater beach water quality monitoring at 11 sites through the Healthy Beaches Monitoring Program. Samples are collected from March through the end of October.

Samples are collected at Brackin Wayside Park, Clement E. Taylor Park, Emerald Promenade, Gariners Park, Henderson Park Beach, James Lee Park, Lincoln Park, Liza Jackson Park, Marler Park, Poquito Park, and Rocky Bayou State Park.

The water samples are analyzed for enteric bacteria (enterococci) that normally inhabit the intestinal tract of humans and animals and which may cause human disease, infections, or rashes. The presence of enteric bacteria is an indication of fecal pollution, which may come from stormwater runoff, pets and wildlife, and human sewage.

If you have questions, contact DOH-Okaloosa at (850) 833-9247 or (850) 689-7859.  You can also visit www.HealthyOkaloosa.com and click the “Healthy Beaches” link to be taken to a list of Okaloosa County’s Healthy Beaches sites, sampling results and maps.