Beach Report Card boasts improvements but not perfection in Malibu.
This year’s annual Heal the Bay Beach Report Card delivered a mixed bag of good and bad news for Malibu beaches, though the cause of the poor grades is hard to pin down.
Each year, Heal the Bay, a Santa Monica-based nonprofit group that focuses on the collection of water data, education of the community, community involvement and environmental advocacy, surveys beaches across the state, assigning them letter grades from A to F, based on levels of weekly bacterial pollution. This year, they assigned grades to 468 beaches along the California coast for three reporting periods in 2014-15.
“Southern California had excellent summer dry weather water quality with 97 percent A or B grades,” read the report, which showed an overall positive trend for beaches.
Despite receiving poorer grades in past years, all of Malibu’s beaches received As or Bs during the summer dry season of 2014-15, keeping them off the infamous “Beach Bummer” list of the state’s 10 most polluted beaches.
During the winter and year-round wet seasons, however, the beaches did not have the same success. Surfrider Beach and Malibu Point received Fs during the winter and year-round wet seasons, and Malibu Pier received an F grade for the year-round wet season. Paradise Cove and Carbon Beach barely passed, receiving Cs in the winter and year-round wet seasons.
“We don’t feel responsible for [the failing grades],” Jennifer Brown, the City of Malibu’s Senior Environmental Programs Coordinator, said. With so many factors contributing to the pollution of the water, Brown is confident that the City is only helping improve water conditions.
“We have a very proactive program and engaged community,” continued Brown, including that “[The City of Malibu] is currently working on an enhanced watershed program.” With the introduction of Legacy Park, which is constructed to retain water, as well as the Paradise Cove water treatment facility, the City of Malibu is implementing numerous projects to eliminate excess runoff.
Vice President of Heal the Bay Sarah Sikich emphasized the positive trend in the water quality of California beaches, but not without acknowledging the possibility of future failure.
Sikich stated in an interview with The Malibu Times that L.A. County is notorious for receiving high grades in the summer, and poorer grades in the winter and the wetter seasons. She explained, “In wet weather and during winter, nearly half [of L.A. beaches] received an F grade.”
“Storm water is the biggest source of pollution,” Sikich explained when asked about the reason for such a discrepancy between seasons. Due to the limited rainfall in recent years, L.A. County beaches have been trending toward higher grades.
“Across L.A. county, there has been a four percent improvement from last year, and 10 percent from the previous five-year average,” Sikich noted.
This year was the second year in a row that Malibu has not had any beaches on Heal the Bay’s “Beach Bummer” list. In 2012, Malibu had four beaches on the list: Marie Canyon, Surfrider, Escondido and Solstice Canyon. Malibu Pier was on the list in 2013.
“Rains are going to come, and we need to be prepared for water quality problems along with it,” Sikich warned. The Heal the Bay report cautions residents as well. “It should be noted that California often swings from extended dry periods to shorter periods of intense, wet weather,” the report stated.
The Beach Report Card also provides an average condition of the beaches, but for more accurate results, Heal the Bay releases weekly reports each Friday, grading the bacteria levels at the beach.
Malibu freshwater swimming holes deemed “very poor” and “poor to moderate” water quality.
Santa Monica-based environmental nonprofit Heal the Bay released a report on the freshwater in Malibu swimming holes, and the results are grim.
Heal the Bay’s water quality testing has moved inland from the coast, as they recently released the results of a study on the conditions of three natural pools in the Santa Monica Mountains.
Katherine Pease, watershed scientist at Heal the Bay, led a team that tested the waters at the frequently used swimming holes at Las Virgenes Creek, Rock Pool and Solstice Canyon.
From June to September 2014, Heal the Bay monitored the waters twice a week, testing for E. coli and Enterococcus, two kinds of bacteria that could point to the presence of sewage.
“Fecal indicator bacteria are not necessarily harmful themselves, but they indicate the possible presence of disease-causing microorganisms,” reads the report, which was released on June 17. These microorganisms can lead to health issues, including gastroenteritis and upper respiratory infections.
“It is definitely a public concern,” Pease said in an interview with The Malibu Times. The poor water quality could pose an issue for the City, L.A. County Public Health and State Parks, as well as the community members enjoying the recreational space.
“Unfortunately, we do not know at this point where the pollution is coming from,” Pease explained, which is an issue for watershed scientists trying to advocate for increased safety, as well as increased water quality.
The swimming hole with the second highest traffic, Las Virgenes Creek, was deemed to have “very poor” water quality. Rock Pool, with the heaviest use by swimmers, was labeled as “poor to moderate.” Solstice Canyon, with minimal use by swimmers, had its water quality deemed “good” by Heal the Bay’s watershed scientists.
“I urge people to use caution,” Pease stressed. With poor conditions and high traffic, Heal the Bay emphasized the need for signage and educational outreach so that, at a minimum, swimmers can be aware of the conditions of the swimming hole before diving in.
In addition to water testing, Heal the Bay “recorded the number of visitors and swimmers, as well as demographics of the visitors to identify communities possibly at risk and to help guide any future outreach,” according to the report. The report indicated “the community most at risk is the Hispanic community and particularly families at Las Virgenes Creek.” According to the report, 73 percent of the visitors to Las Virgenes Creek were Hispanic.
While Heal the Bay did not entirely discourage swimmers from swimming at the different locations, they did urge swimmers to take some precautions. The report by Heal the Bay recommended swimmers abide by the following suggestions: “Don’t swallow any water. Avoid swimming if you have any cuts or sores. After taking a dip, be sure to shower with soap.”
More information is available at healthebay.org.