CAMBRIDGE – The bacteria monitoring update provided by Choptank RiverKeeper showed mixed results, with nine of the 14 sites on the river meeting water quality standards last week.

Red Bridges - FAIL (350 cfu)

Hillsboro Landing - FAIL (1947 cfu)

Denton Crouse Park - PASS (84 cfu)

Two Johns Landing - PASS (97 cfu)

Choptank Marina Beach - FAIL (249 cfu)

Bill Burton Beach - PASS (10 cfu)

Sailwinds Park Beach* - FAIL (42 cfu)

Willis Street Beach - FAIL (216 cfu)

Gerry Boyle Park Beach - FAIL (173 cfu)

Hambrooks Bay Beach - PASS (63 cfu)

Trappe Landing - PASS (74 cfu)

Easton Point - PASS (41 cfu)

The Strand, Oxford - PASS (86 cfu)

Bellevue Beach - PASS (<10 cfu)

Follow #SwimmableShoreRivers for more updates on water quality and swimming conditions.

Bacteria levels can change, particularly as a result of significant rain events, and so it's advised that swimmers stay out of the water for up to 24-48 hours after a significant rain event, as defined as greater than 1" of rain within a 24-hour period.

Swimmers should never swim in the river with open wounds or cuts.

Swimmers should always wash off after swimming in the river.

There are inherent risks associated with open water swimming beyond high bacteria levels, such as harmful algal blooms, vibrio, rough conditions and drowning hazards. Swimmers and beachgoers should be advised to obey signs and laws wherever they plan to recreate in the water.

The Swimmable ShoreRivers program uses the standardized EPA criteria for recreational swimming of 104 Colony Forming Units (CFU)/100ml for analyzing a single bacteria sample. Anything higher than 104CFU is a failing sample, and anything below 104CFU is a passing sample. For Sailwinds Park Beach where a more rigorous protocol is used, the standard is 35 CFU/100ml.

Not all test sites are designated swimming areas. A "Swim Guide" phone app is available at theswimguide.org/get-the-app.

ShoreRivers thanks 2023 Choptank River Bacteria Monitoring Site sponsors:

• City of Cambridge (Hambrooks Bay Beach, Gerry Boyle Park Beach and Willis Street Beach)
• YMCA of the Chesapeake (Hillsboro Landing)
• Caroline County Recreation and Parks (Choptank Marina Beach)
• Easton Point Marina (Easton Point Landing)
• Town of Oxford, MD (The Strand)
• On-site Septic Inspections and Services (Crouse Park, Denton)
• Cambridge Waterfront Development Inc. (Sailwinds Park Beach)
• Individual private donations (Bellevue Beach and Trappe Landing).