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Healthy Beach Project
Learn how the Vashon-Maury Pollution Identification and Correction Project helps you, and how you can help.
The Healthy Beach Project focuses on providing resources to find and fix fecal (poop) pollution sources in Vashon-Maury Island through freshwater sampling, sanitary surveys, workshops and other resources, and on-site sewage/septic system (OSS) inspections. So far, more than 500 acres of shellfish harvesting areas have been upgraded through the project, showing big improvements in water quality.
See the Vashon Focus Area Map (151 KB).
Keep the beaches swimmable, fishable, and diggable
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
Kids learn how to keep water clean at the annual Low Tide Celebration event
- Apply for financial assistance for septic system replacements or repairs.
- Vashon Team Septic is your neighborhood septic resource. Visit and learn more: www.vashonteamseptic.org
- 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.
Current focus area: Manzanita Beach (2025-2027)
The Healthy Beach Project is currently focused on Manzanita Beachto better understand water quality in the freshwater drainages flowing into East Quartermaster Harbor. King County scientists will collect water samples at drainages or streams and public health experts will provide sanitary surveys and technical assistance for on-site sewage/septic system (OSS) maintenance. See a map of the Manzanita Beach Project Study Area (823 KB).
Past Healthy Beach Project work
Efforts focused on this area during 2016-2020. This work supported the upgrade of 180 acres of commercial shellfish harvesting areas that had previously been closed to harvest for over 20 years due to pollution. See the change of shellfish growing area in maps of Quartermaster Harbor (623 KB).
The work expanded to these areas in 2018. Surveys, water samples, and septic inspection reports completed in these neighborhoods led to additional water quality upgrades. Check out the status of shellfish growing beds in East Passage (818 KB).
During 2021-2023, King County worked with property owners to better understand water quality along North Colvos Passage. Many pollution sources have been identified and fixed, and on-going work to prevent fecal pollution is necessary before water quality upgrades can occur. These neighborhoods get the award for the best compliance with septic system inspections, reaching 96% compliance in 2022. See the change of the number of septic systems inspected in North Colvos Passage (2022-23) (890 KB).