Blue Water Task Force

The Blue Water Task Force is Surfrider’s volunteer water quality monitoring program that provides critical water quality information to protect public health at the beach. Surfrider chapters use this program to raise awareness of local pollution problems and to bring together communities to implement solutions.

Blue Water Task Force (BWTF) labs measure fecal indicator bacteria levels in recreational waters and compare them to water quality standards set to protect public health. Chapter-run BWTF programs fill in the gaps and extend the coverage of agency-run beach monitoring programs by sampling ocean and bay beaches, estuaries and potential freshwater sources of pollution such as stormwater outlets, rivers and creeks that discharge onto the beach.

Surfrider Foundation Newport partners with the Oregon Coast Aquarium'sYouth Program, who hosts this lab. Surfrider volunteers collect samples weekly and bring them to the Oregon Coast Aquarium to be processed by the Aquarium’s Youth Volunteers.

Our BWTF data augments the beach monitoring program conducted by Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and helps build community awareness of local pollution issues.

If you are interested in becoming a BWTF volunteer, please contact bwtf@newport.surfrider.org

Local Water Quality Resources

• The Newport area lab and program is a partnership between local chapter volunteers and the Youth Volunteer Program at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. You can view the latest and historical results and an interactive map of the testing sites.
• The Depoe Bay area serves Lincoln City and Gleneden Beach. The program is a partnership with Neighbors for Kids and the Kids Zone Program. You can view the latest and historical results and an interactive map of the testing sites.