BEACON (Beach Advisory and Closing Online Notification)
BEach Advisory and Closing Online Notification (version 2.0) is an online system to obtain state-reported beach monitoring and notification data. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency created the BEACON system to meet the agency's requirement to provide the public with a database of pollution occurrences for coastal recreation waters.
Background
Under the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act of 2000, the EPA provides annual grants to coastal and Great Lakes states, territories and eligible Tribes. This funding helps local authorities monitor their coastal and Great Lakes beaches and notify the public of water quality conditions that may be unsafe for swimming.
BEACON Data Sources
Most BEACH Act grantees submit data to the EPA annually. The agency works with grantees to verify that the data are presented accurately in BEACON. For the most up-to-date information, contact the state or local beach manager using the contact information provided on each beach's map and profile report.
The state-reported data found in BEACON come from the following EPA databases:
- Reach Address Database (RAD). RAD contains geographic data that define each beach's location and the location of water quality monitoring stations. BEACON retrieves this data to display the beaches and stations on a map.
- The EPA’s Water Quality Exchange (WQX) and the USGS Water Quality Portal (WQP). WQX is the framework by which organizations submit data to the WQP. BEACON pulls water quality monitoring data from WQX/WQP. For more information on WQX/WQP, see Water Quality Data (WQX) page.
- PRogram tracking, beach Advisories, Water quality standards, and Nutrients (PRAWN). PRAWN stores beach administrative, advisory and closing data.