High Bacteria Count Closes Four-Mile Stretch of Beach

On the eve of the Labor Day weekend, health officials Friday ordered the closure of a four-mile stretch of beach because of high bacteria levels in water from Ballona Creek near Playa del Rey.

County health officials said they were still uncertain of the cause of the contamination and how long the strip of beach, which includes Dockweiler and Venice South beaches, would remain off limits.

The closure--from Imperial Highway to Avenue 23--is the second in a month prompted by high bacteria levels in Ballona Creek, one of Los Angeles’ biggest storm drains and an occasional emergency outlet for nearby sewage treatment facilities.

Virtually the same stretch of coastline was closed for three days during the sweltering mid-August heat wave. No cause for the high bacteria level was determined at the time.

Mark Gold, staff scientist for Heal the Bay, said the cause of the current contamination is a puzzle because city sanitation officials conducted extensive dye testing after the last incident and found no leaks in a sewer line that runs near Ballona Creek.

“So no one really knows what the source is,” Gold said.

Late Friday, county officials said the high bacteria count was largely limited to Ballona Creek and had not spread to the shoreline. The beaches, however, were closed as a precaution and more testing was scheduled along the shoreline throughout the weekend.

Despite the contamination, county officials are still bracing for a big turnout at the beaches, especially Dockweiler, one of the most popular in the city.

Bill Powers, senior ocean lifeguard for the county, said Venice South is usually less popular because of the lack of parking.

But Dockweiler, he said, “is another story.” With plenty of parking, the beach overflows with people when the sun shines.

Powers said lifeguards will be on the sand all weekend advising beach-goers of the potential hazard, although he added, “We’re not going to swim after anyone who goes in and put them in handcuffs. That’s not our job.”

At the Endless Summer restaurant in Venice, manager Greg Alcus said he doubted the closure would have much impact on business.

Many of the restaurant’s patrons are from the surrounding neighborhood and come whether the beach is open or closed.