DPNR Beach Advisory: St. Croix Clear for Weekend Swimmers; Vessup Bay Flagged
By JOHN McCARTHY / St. Croix Sun Staff Writer
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS — The Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) has released its weekly water quality report for the territory, giving most beaches a green light for the upcoming weekend. While St. Croix fared well in the latest round of testing, one popular St. Thomas bay has been flagged as unsafe for swimming.
St. Croix Conditions
On St. Croix, all sampled beaches met the established water quality standards for Enterococci bacteria and turbidity. Residents looking to beat the heat this weekend can safely visit:
North Shore: Cane Bay, Pelican Cove (Cormorant), Chenay Bay, Shoys, and Columbus Landing.
West End: Rainbow Beach, Dorsch, Frederiksted Public Beach, and Sprat Hall.
East End/South Shore: Grapetree Bay, Cramers Park, The Buccaneer, and Ha’Penny.
Notably, Protestant Cay was not sampled this week; therefore, its water quality remains unknown.
St. Thomas and St. John
The news was less positive for the St. Thomas district. DPNR testing revealed that Vessup Bay exceeded the threshold for bacteria and is considered unsafe for swimming or fishing. All other sampled beaches on St. Thomas and Water Island, including Magens Bay, Lindbergh Bay, and Sapphire Beach, are considered safe.
The water quality for all beaches on St. John—as well as Honeymoon Beach on Water Island and Bluebeards Beach on St. Thomas—is currently unknown as no samples were collected at those locations this week.
Precautionary Measures
DPNR officials remind the public that heavy rainfall often increases the risk of contamination from stormwater runoff. Swimmers should avoid waters with a foul odor or visible discoloration, particularly near drainage "guts".
