Beaches Recover in Time for Summer

Water quality at California’s beaches took a big hit during this winter’s severe rains, but it has returned to safe levels at most sites in time for the Memorial Day weekend summer kickoff, an environmental watchdog group said Wednesday in its 15th annual report card on shoreline health.

“It’s good news for the swimming season that’s coming up,” said Shelley Luce, science and policy director of Heal the Bay, at a news conference at Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro.

More contaminants were poured into the surf during the storms than at any time since statewide beach monitoring began six years ago.

“This year was a doozy,” Luce said.

Of the coastal locations the group analyzed between the Oregon border and San Diego, 90% received poor grades for the wet-weather season, the Santa Monica-based group said.

“A poor grade means you’re likely to get sick if you go into the water at that beach,” Luce said.

But dry-weather water quality at 80% of California beaches was pegged at very good to excellent, the group said. The end of spring rains diminished the chances of getting respiratory, gastrointestinal or skin maladies from contact with water.

Heal the Bay also issued its annual ranking of the 10 worst beaches statewide, based on an analysis of harmful bacterial levels during dry weather. Eight of them are in Southern California.

Two were tied for the beach most potentially harmful to human health: Doheny State Beach in Orange County and Imperial in San Diego County. It marked the fourth consecutive year Doheny has topped the list.

The others on the list were: the harbor side of Cabrillo in San Pedro; Campbell Cove State Park in Sonoma County; Avalon on Santa Catalina Island; Baby Beach at Dana Point; Pacific near La Jolla; Pillar Point Harbor in San Mateo County; Redondo Beach Pier and Paradise Cove in Malibu.

Heal the Bay analyzes bacterial levels, including fecal waste, collected by health departments up and down the coastline. The group graded 450 beaches using data collected during the one-year period between April 1, 2004, and the end of March.

Storm waters absorb a vast amount of pollutants as they rush to sea, Luce said. Litter, pet waste, lawn fertilizers and leaky septic systems were cited by the group as major contamination sources.

“I surf at least three times a week, but I don’t go in the water near a flowing storm drain, and I don’t surf for at least three days after a storm,” Luce said.

After rainfall, bacteria counts usually far exceed state health standards for recreational water use, according to the report.

The group also evaluated beaches by type, saying open-ocean shorelines are generally the cleanest, while those near a flowing storm drain or enclosed by a harbor are questionable.

“Enclosed beaches are sheltered, and there are no big waves, so they tend to be favored by families and children,” Luce said. “The irony is that they’re more likely to make you sick if you get in the water because low water flow tends to mean poor quality.”