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Healthy Beach Project

Learn how the Vashon-Maury Pollution Identification and Correction Project helps you, and how you can help.

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Hidden treasures of Vashon-Maury Island

Keep the beaches swimmable, fishable, and diggable

A king county employee performing a beach inspection.

King County staff collect water samples on Vashon beaches.

  • The Vashon-Maury shoreline provides value to the community in swimming, beach walks, fishing, boating, and shellfish harvesting.
  • Shellfish growing areas have been downgraded, water quality has declined, and fecal pollution from humans and animals is of grave concern.
  • Pollution sources can impact property owners resulting in costly repairs, property damage and liability.
  • By working together, we have already fixed many pollution sources.

How you can help the community

Educating children about clean water

Kids learn how to keep water clean at the annual Low Tide Celebration event

  • Apply for financial assistance for septic system replacements or repairs.
    • Additional grants of up to $5,000 are available for repairs in project focus areas.
  • Find ways to make sure that no poop is entering the water. For example, make sure to pick up dog droppings on the beach and in your yard.
  • Farms can work with King Conservation District for management plans to ensure manure from farm animals does not cause pollution.
  • Attend workshops and events when available.
  • Help us to perform water sampling and visual surveys by giving consent for samplers to access your shoreline (in project focus areas only).
  • Submit a pollution complaint by calling us at 206-477-8050.

This project has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under Assistance Agreement PC-01J18001 to the Washington State Department of Health. The contents of this information do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.

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