Come on in, the water’s average.
For the first time in three years, Malibu’s beaches have all received passing “grades” on Heal the Bay’s Annual Beach Report Card.
The Santa Monica-based environmental group has been ranking California beaches for bacterial pollution levels since 1990.
Last year’s summer report, covering the summer of 2012, gave Malibu’s Paradise Cove Pier and Escondido State Beach “C” grades, while giving an “F” to Malibu Pier. In this report, covering Summer 2013, Paradise Cove received an “A+,” Escondido Beach received an “A” and Malibu Pier earned a “C,” the only “C” grade in Malibu this year.
In addition to Paradise Cove Pier, Malibu Colony and Las Tunas County Beach also earned “A+” grades.
According to Amanda Griesbach, the water quality scientist who authored this year’s report, Malibu Pier is an area of high concern when it comes to bacterial pollution, but scientists remain uncertain as to the source of Malibu Pier’s pollution. Last year, Malibu Pier made the “Beach Bummer” list, the list of the worst 10 beaches in California.
“It’s kind of this big mystery,” said Griesbach. “We’re closely watching it, and we’ve taken a lot of other samples in and around the pier.”
Griesbach said that although the “C” grade earned by the pier is considered passing, it is worrisome considering the dry weather in 2013. Drought, according to Griesbach, tends to cut down on bacteria.
“It narrowly missed being on the bummer list,” she added.
The annual report is the synthesis of 52 weekly reports collected throughout the state by public health agencies, city officials, county officials, wastewater and stormwater experts and others, who monitor bacteria levels.
The report is designed, according to Griesbach, to be a “valuable resource” to educate the public, as well as government agencies.
“It … is a tool for us to highlight those beaches that maybe aren’t doing so well, so we can heighten awareness to the public and public health officials, state agencies and other agencies,” said Griesbach.
According to last year’s study, “Heal the Bay plans to work with local agencies to monitor and implement source tracking at this location if the high bacteria levels return this summer.” Although this step was taken, no definitive answers have come out as to why the beach has so much bacteria.
Malibu Environmental Sustainability Department manager and clean water team member Craig George said there are a few reasons the bacteria count may be so high.
“In my opinion, there’s a combination of things: both what’s going on at the pier itself, both the restaurants … and also the amount of birds that are there, and the amount of people who populate that beach — it’s a very popular beach all year round,” said George.
Septic systems, George said, do not play a role in the bacteria near the pier.
“We’ve done studies, the USGS (United States Geological Survey) did a study and indicated that it’s not the source of the bacteria,” said George.
Heal the Bay scientists, on the other hand, did not rule out the possibility, and have been working with government agencies to narrow down what possible root causes could be.
“We have been working with the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board and talking a bit with the State Parks to try to identify if there could possibly be some septic tank there that could be contributing to the problem,” said Kirsten James, water quality science and policy director at Heal the Bay.
This was confirmed by Griesbach, who stressed that septic system issues were only a few of thousands of possible factors.
“Sometimes there’s not one smoking gun, it’s a combination of sources,” said Griesbach.
Nearby in Santa Monica, the Santa Monica Pier made the Beach Bummers list this year for the first time since 2010. Cowell Beach at the wharf in Santa Cruz County topped the list of Beach Bummers this year, with Avalon on Catalina Island not appearing on the list for only the second time since 2000.