Beach Grant Program
Forecasted
Beach Grant Program supports Alaska communities, tribal governments, and watershed councils in monitoring coastal beach bacteria and notifying the public to help prevent water-borne illness.
Funder: Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation
Due Dates (Anticipated): January 2027 (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: Grants support beach bacterial monitoring and public notification
Summary: Supports monitoring of Alaska’s coastal recreational waters for fecal contamination and public notification to prevent water-borne illness.
Key Information: Grants serve local communities, tribal governments, and watershed councils monitoring Alaska beaches.
Description
The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation’s Division of Water administers the Alaska BEACH Grant Program as part of a nationwide effort to reduce water-borne illness at public beaches. Funded through an EPA BEACH grant, the program supports sampling for fecal coliform and enterococci bacteria, which may indicate fecal contamination. Public notification when samples exceed allowable levels helps prevent illness associated with recreational contact with contaminated water.
Alaska’s beach monitoring program has collected water-quality samples at coastal recreation beaches since 2002. Beaches are selected using risk factors identified through community surveys, including the probability of fecal contamination and human exposure during recreation. The program defines a beach broadly: any shoreline where recreational activities may bring people into complete or partial body contact with marine water, including shorelines that are not sandy.
