Heal the Bay 2010 Summer Beach Report Card® Released

Heal the Bay has released the 2010 Summer Beach Report Card®.   Essential reading for ocean users, the report card grades over 450 locations for summer dry weather (over 320 locations year-round) on an A-to-F scale based on the risk of adverse health effects to beachgoers. The grades are based on fecal bacteria pollution levels in the surfzone. The program has evolved from an annual review of beaches in Santa Monica Bay to weekly updates of all monitored beaches throughout California. This years publication also includes the newly added monitoring done on Oregon and Washington beaches.

The Beach Report Card is based on the routine monitoring of beaches conducted by local health agencies and dischargers. Water samples are analyzed for bacteria that indicate pollution from numerous sources, including fecal waste. The better the grade a beach receives, the lower the risk of illness to ocean users. The report is not designed to measure the amount of trash or toxins found at beaches.

Solspot uses these monitoring reports to provide our users with an accurate report on the health of our report beaches.
*On the right side of each beach forecast page we display a beach health information box.  This information box displays the current grade from the Heal the Bay information system.

The Beach Report Card would not be possible without the cooperation of all of the shoreline monitoring agencies in the state.  Currently the funding for these programs is in jeopardy and 2011 is in desperate need of funding.  Please help support the tremendous efforts of the Heal the Bay organization, visit their website and get involved in keeping our beaches clean.

Result Synopsis

Water quality data collected at California beaches this past summer shows it was one of the cleanest summers on record. Despite a few problem areas, statewide water quality was very good with 92% A and B grades. There were 37 locations (8%) throughout the state that received fair-to-poor water quality grades (10 Cs, 9 Ds and 18 Fs).

San Diego County: Overall water quality at beaches in San Diego has been excellent, and slightly better than last year, with all locations receiving an A or B grade. Of the 77 water monitoring locations, 76 received A grades with only one location earning a B grade. The historically problematic Pacific Beach Point, which received an F grade in last summer’s report, received an A+ this summer by exhibiting no exceedances of state standards for bacteria.

Orange County: Water quality at beaches in Orange County this past summer was just slightly lower than last summer, but still excellent overall with 97% of beaches receiving an A or B grade. Poche Beach still continues to have poor water quality and received an F grade this summer.

Los Angeles County: Similar to last summer, Los Angeles water quality grades were fair, with 79% of beaches receiving A and B grades. Avalon Beach once again exhibited extremely poor water quality with all five monitoring sites receiving F grades.

Ventura County: Overall water quality at beaches throughout Ventura County remains among the best in the state. All monitored beaches received A grades in this report. Due to state budget cuts, this is the second summer that the number of monitoring locations in Ventura County remained at 40, which is a 26% decrease from prior years (54 locations).

Santa Barbara County: The water quality at beaches in Santa Barbara County was slightly lower than last summer’s, with 88% of beaches receiving A or B grades (compared to 94% last summer), but overall water quality was very good. Goleta Beach (C) and Arroyo Burro (F) were the only two locations that did not earn an A or B grade for Santa Barbara County this summer.

San Luis Obispo County: Water quality at beaches in San Luis Obispo County was excellent again this past summer, with only one monitoring location receiving lower than an A or B grade. Pismo Beach Pier (C) again received the county’s only poor grade. This is a slight improvement from last year’s D grade. Overall 95% of beaches in San Luis Obispo received A or B grades, exactly the same amount as last summer.

Monterey County: Overall Beach water quality in Monterey County was pretty good, with 75% of beaches earning an A or B grade. Last summer 88% of beaches earned A or B grades, Six out the eight monitoring locations received an A grade with only two locations, Monterey Municipal Beach at the commercial wharf and Lovers Point Park, both earning the lowest overall county grade (C).

Santa Cruz County: Overall Santa Cruz beach water quality made a slight improvement from last year, with 71% of beaches receiving A or B grades (over 69% from last summer). Cowell Beach had extensive periods of high bacteria that contributed to three out of the four F grades for Santa Cruz County.

San Mateo County: Overall, San Mateo’s ocean water quality was excellent and exhibited a slight improvement from last summer. The lowest grades in the county were found at bayside locations. Of the 21 regularly monitored locations, 19 (90%) received A or B grades. Water quality at Aquatic Park (D) and Lakeshore Park (D) earned the county’s only poor grades despite a slight improvement from their F grades last summer.

Alameda County: This is the fourth year in a row that Alameda County beaches have shown nearly perfect summer-time water quality, with all seven monitoring locations receiving (100%) A grades.

San Francisco County: Beach water quality in San Francisco County this summer was excellent, with 93% of beaches earning an A or B grade. Of 14 monitoring locations that were sampled regularly over the summer, 12 received A grades. Candlestick Point (at Sunnydale Cove) received a B grade, and Baker Lobos Creek once again received the county’s only poor grade (D); a slight improvement from last summer’s F grade.

Contra Costa County: This year, two Keller Beach locations received F grades and one received a D grade for repeated exceedances of the geometric mean standard for total coliforms.
Total coliforms are generally not associated with human source contamination (sewage) or increased human health risk, but are more indicative of decomposing marine vegetation (eel grass, seaweed, etc.) that tends to be routinely deposited at the Keller Beach site due to San Francisco Bay tidal action.

Marin County: Water quality grades at beaches throughout Marin County were excellent again this summer and among the best in the state, with all 23 monitoring locations (100%) receiving A or B grades (21 receiving As).

Sonoma County: Due to lack of adequate funding for the monitoring program, Sonoma County didn’t begin monitoring all locations until July 6, 2010. With the same excellent water quality as the last two summers, all seven monitoring locations that were sampled in Sonoma County received A grades.

Mendocino: Five locations were monitored in Mendocino County frequently enough to earn grades in this report. All monitoring locations received A grades.

Humboldt County: Similar to the last two summers, all six monitoring locations received A grades in this report.

The Top 10 Beach Bummers
1. Avalon Harbor Beach on Catalina Island (Los Angeles County)
2. Cowell Beach at the wharf (Santa Cruz County)
3. Cabrillo Beach harborside (Los Angeles County)
4. Poche Beach (Orange County)
5. Santa Monica Municipal Pier (Los Angeles County)
6. Colorado Lagoon (Los Angeles County)
7. Baker Beach at Lobos Creek (San Francisco County)
8. Capitola Beach west of the jetty (Santa Cruz County)
9. Vacation Isle North Cove Beach in Mission Bay (San Diego County)
10. Will Rogers State Beach at Santa Ynez drain (Los Angeles County)

The complete report can be found on the Heal the Bay website.

Heal the Bay is a nonprofit environmental organization dedicated to making Southern California coastal waters and watersheds, including Santa Monica Bay, safe, healthy and clean. We use research, education, community action and advocacy to pursue our mission.
Heal the Bay’s Beach Report Card is made possible by the generous support of:
The Diller – von Furstenberg Family Foundation
simplehuman
Grousbeck Family Foundation
Carlson Family Foundation, Inc.
Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA)