The legendary Surfrider State Beach ranks 4th among the top 10 most polluted beaches in California. New study finds high levels of bacteria in sand affects water quality.
By Joe Fasbinder / Special to The Malibu Times
Heal the Bay’s 16th annual Beach Report Card shows that waters off the Santa Monica Municipal Pier, Surfrider Beach in Malibu and Will Rogers Beach along Pacific Coast Highway all bear the distinction of being among the most polluted in California.
At a news conference at Surfrider Beach in Malibu on May 24, officials of the ecological group crowned numerous beaches as contenders for the dubious distinction of being the “Beach Bummer” of California. Beach Bummers are the beaches with most polluted waters in the state.
The 10 worst beaches in terms of water quality reported in dry weather were: Cabrillo Beach harbor side at the lifeguard tower in Los Angeles County (10th), Topanga State Beach in Los Angeles County (9th), the Tijuana Rivermouth in San Diego County (8th), Doheny Beach in Orange County (7th), Pillar Point Harbor at Capistrano Avenue Beach in San Mateo County (6th), the Santa Monica Municipal Pier (5th), Surfrider Beach in Malibu (4th), Avalon Beach on Catalina Island (3rd), and Will Rogers State Beach at Chautauqua Boulevard in Los Angeles County (2nd).
Multiple locations in the north Santa Monica Bay share the dubious distinction of being California’s worst “Beach Bummer” this year. During the 2005-2006 monitoring year, data was collected for the first time this past year from the wave wash directly at the outlet of 14 different storm drains or creeks. Heal the Bay said four of these new sites exhibited “horrendous” water quality. They were Escondido Creek just east of Escondido State Beach, Castlerock Storm Drain at Castle Rock Beach, Marie Canyon storm drain at Puerco Beach, and the Santa Ynez Storm Drain at Castle Rock Beach.
Each year, Heal the Bay’s Beach Report Card rates California’s coastal water quality based on data from more than 450 shoreline monitoring locations. Beaches from Humboldt County to the Mexican border are rated on a scale from A to F based on bacteria levels in the water. The information presented in the Beach Report Card helps protect beachgoers, swimmers and surfers from the health risks caused by water pollution.
The five most polluted beaches in the state are in Los Angeles County.
One of the reasons that Los Angeles County had the worst water quality grades in California was that the county was one of the first in the state to modify its monitoring program to collect samples directly in front of flowing storm drains and creeks. Heal the Bay noted that children often play directly in front of storm drains and some even play in the runoff-filled ponds and lagoons.
Heal the Bay analyzed data from Santa Barbara County through San Diego County to determine if there were significant differences in water quality based on beach type. The group found water quality at open ocean beaches during year-round dry weather was significantly better than water quality at those beaches affected by storm drains or located within enclosed bays or harbors. The study found 91 percent of open ocean beaches received an A grade for year-round dry weather compared to 71 percent at beaches impacted with storm drains, and 79 percent at beaches found within an enclosed bay, harbor or marina.
Sand carries high levels of bacteria
In a UCLA study released Tuesday, researchers determined that sand at calm harbors is likely to have far more bacteria than sand at beaches which are washed by waves.
The high bacteria counts in the sand can exist even when the water at those locations is relatively clean.
The study, headed by UCLA professor of environmental engineering Jennifer Jay, focused on Santa Monica Bay beaches from Malibu to Redondo and found that although water bacteria levels may meet state health standards, sand acts as an incubator in which microbes can flourish and contaminate water used by swimmers and surfers.
Jay said bacteria levels in sand at sheltered locations could be high because relatively still waters do not agitate sand and flush it clean.
Researchers found the worst offenders were the sheltered side of Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro, Mother’s Beach in Marina del Rey, Santa Monica Beach near the pier and Topanga Beach in Malibu.