GLIN==> myBeachCast: Real-time beach data now available via smartphones

For immediate release
Aug. 4, 2011
myBeachCast: Real-time beach data now available via smartphones 
Ann Arbor, Mich. - The Great Lakes Commission, in partnership with LimnoTech
and the Great Lakes states, has developed a smartphone application that
provides more options and opportunities for public access to beach
advisories and other environmental information.
Funded by the U.S. EPA-led Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the
myBeachCast application (app) provides the public with real-time information
on beach water quality advisories, weather and water conditions in a form
that is location-aware and easy to access. The app allows users to discover
local beaches based on the user’s location, save favorite beaches, and
quickly locate other nearby beaches in the case of a water quality advisory
at their favorite beach.
To download the myBeachCast app, go to http://beachcast.glin.net. Currently
in the beta testing phase, the app retrieves advisory and closure data from
the states of Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, all of which utilize BeachGuard, a
centralized reporting database for monitoring data collected by health
departments across each state. Data from the other Great Lakes states will
be incorporated in time for the app’s full launch in May 2012.
Ohio Beach Coordinator Corey Schwab, with the Ohio Department of Health, is
excited about the new app and sees it as a welcome complement to his state’s
existing beach information resources, which include a website and Facebook
page. "I am anxious to promote the app to our constituents," Schwab says.
"Offering beach advisory and closure notifications in a mobile platform is a
tremendous resource for the Great Lakes region."
The app was designed for the Android platform by LimnoTech, a water
resources and engineering company based in Ann Arbor, Mich., in partnership
with the Great Lakes Commission and the states. A mobile-enhanced website
available on the Great Lakes Information Network will offer complementary
information for other mobile devices. Funding is being sought to develop a
corresponding native app for the iPhone.
"The Great Lakes Commission is pleased to provide this new service for the
beachgoing public and as a tool for the states to better promote our Great
Lakes beaches and protect human health," says Great Lakes Commission
Executive Director Tim Eder. "We hope it’s beneficial not only for the beach
management community but also for the business and tourism sectors in our
region."
Comments and feedback on the beta app can be sent via email to
mybeachcast at glin.net. The development team encourages the Great Lakes
community to download and use the app through conclusion of the 2011 beach
season and provide input and suggestions.
Data providers who are contributing to the beta version of the myBeachCast
app include the states of Indiana, Michigan and Ohio, BeachGuard, and the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The Great Lakes Commission, chaired by James Tierney, assistant commissioner
for water resources at the New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation, is an interstate compact agency established under state and
U.S. federal law and dedicated to promoting a strong economy, healthy
environment and high quality of life for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region
and its residents. The Commission consists of governors' appointees, state
legislators, and agency officials from its eight member states. Associate
membership for Ontario and Québec was established through the signing of a
"Declaration of Partnership." The Commission maintains a formal Observer
program involving U.S. and Canadian federal agencies, tribal authorities,
binational agencies and other regional interests. The Commission offices are
located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Learn more at www.glc.org
<http://www.glc.org/> . 

Christine Manninen
Communications / GLIN Director
http://www.great-lakes.net
Great Lakes Commission
Ann Arbor, Mich.
Office 734.971.9135
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