Heal the Bay releases reports on water quality for area beaches

California beaches had excellent water quality in summer 2021, according to the 32nd annual Beach Report Card that environmental nonprofit Heal the Bay released on June 22.

Heal the Bay assigned “A-to-F” letter grades for 500 California beaches in the 2021-2022 report, based on levels of fecal-indicator bacterial pollution in the ocean measured by County health agencies. In addition, the group ranked water quality at 35 freshwater recreation areas in Los Angeles County for summer 2021 and shared findings from the third annual River Report Card.

The good news is 94% of the California beaches assessed by Heal the Bay received an A or B grade during the summer of 2021, which is on par with the five-year average.

Even so, Heal the Bay scientists remain deeply concerned about ocean water quality. Polluted waters pose a significant health risk to millions of people in California. People who come in contact with water with a C grade or lower are at a greater risk of contracting illnesses such as stomach flu, ear infections, upper respiratory infections, and rashes.

Beaches and rivers usually have high-risk water quality following a rain event. Less rain typically means that reduced amounts of pollutants, including bacteria, are flushed through storm drains and rivers into the ocean. Last year, rainfall across coastal counties in California was 24 percent lower than the historical average. Only 66% of California beaches had good or excellent grades during wet weather, which was a little above average, but still very concerning.

“A day at the beach and the river shouldn’t make anyone sick,” said Tracy Quinn, president and CEO of Heal the Bay. “It is wonderful news that most beaches in California have good water quality for swimming. But there are areas with poor water quality that need improvement and infrastructure upgrades.

“We can’t forget that our marine ecosystems are still threatened by the climate crisis and other pollution sources, and we need solutions to address these pressing issues as well. We expect people to increasingly seek out ocean shorelines and freshwater swimming holes to cool off as temperatures rise, so safe, clean, and healthy water is needed now more than ever.”

BEACH HONOR ROLL LIST

Heal the Bay’s Honor Roll List includes 51 California beaches that scored perfect water quality grades year-round (compared to 35 beaches in the prior year). Most beaches on the Honor Roll are in Southern California because many counties in Central California and Northern California do not sample frequently enough during the winter months. Orange County had the most beaches on the Honor Roll. Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, San Diego, and Santa Barbara counties also had beaches with perfect water quality grades. San Francisco, Ventura, and Alameda counties had no beaches on the Honor Roll.

Local beaches that made the Heal the Bay’s Honor Roll:

Point Loma, Lighthouse;
Point Loma, Point Loma Treatment Plant;
Sunset Cliffs, at Ladera Street;
Mission Beach, Belmont Park;
La Jolla Shores Beach, 1,000 feet south of Scripps Pier;
La Jolla Shores Beach, 250 feet south of Scripps Pier;
La Jolla Shores Beach, 500 feet north of Scripps Pier;
Del Mar, at 15th Street;

Carlsbad, at Tamarack Avenue;
Carlsbad, at Poinsettia Lane;
Carlsbad, at Encina Creek;
Carlsbad, at Palomar Airport Road;
Carlsbad, at Cerezo Drive;
Oceanside, at Forster Street;
Oceanside, Harbor Beach at Harbor Drive.

The water quality at Ladera Street stairs at Sunset Cliffs made Heal the Bay’s Honor Roll List. PHOTO BY THOMAS MELVILLE

BEACH BUMMER LIST

Heal the Bay’s Beach Bummer List ranks the most polluted beaches in California based on levels of harmful bacteria in the ocean. The 2021-2022 Beach Bummer List includes beaches in San Diego, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Humboldt, and Santa Cruz counties, and for the first time a beach in Baja California, Mexico makes the list (this beach is monitored by San Diego County).

Notable beaches on the bummer list:

Tijuana Slough, north of Tijuana River Mouth (San Diego County);
Playa Blanca (Baja California, Mexico);
Santa Monica Pier (Los Angeles County);
Marina del Rey Mother’s Beach, at lifeguard tower (Los Angeles County);
Newport Bay, Vaughn’s Launch (Orange County).

“The World Surf League is incredibly proud to partner with Heal the Bay to upgrade the Beach Report Card for all ocean lovers to be informed about water quality prior to heading to their favorite beach. Through the partnership, we are investing in improvements to the user experience of the Beach Report Card website and app, and we will be activating local surfers to protect the health of 150 million beachgoers in California,” said Emily Hofer, chief people officer and executive director WSL PURE at World Surf League.

Visit https://healthebay.org/ for more information.