Five LA, OC Beaches Among Most Polluted In California
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – Five beaches in Los Angeles and Orange counties were featured high on the dreaded annual list of the most polluted beaches in California, but that may have been partly caused by the disproportionate amount of rain and wildfires the region experienced.
Of the 10 most polluted beaches in the state, five were in the Southland, according to the Beach Bummer list, part of the 29th annual Beach Report Card released Wednesday by the nonprofit group Heal the Bay.
The Beach Bummer List ranks the most polluted beaches based on harmful bacteria levels.
San Clemente Pier in O.C. topped the list. Long Beach City Beach at Coronado Avenue came in fourth. Monarch Beach at Salt Creek placing sixth. Mothers Beach in Marina del Rey came in at No. 7. Harborside Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro was at No. 8.
The report wasn't entirely a bummer: 10 O.C. beaches and two L.A. County beaches also made the report's Honor Roll, a distinction reserved for beaches that receive an A+ grade for all seasons and weather conditions. A total of 33 out of 500 beaches earned spots on the list.
Three San Clemente beaches made the Honor Roll, along with three in Dana point, two in Huntington Harbor and one each in Corona del Mar in Laguna Beach.
In L.A. County, the ocean side of Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro made the grade, as did Las Tunas County Beach at Pena Creek in Malibu.
Three other Malibu beaches fell off the Honor Roll from last year, as did three in Palos Verdes.
Heal the Bay officials noted in the report that the Woolsey Fire contributed to a drop in water quality in Malibu. According to the group, wildfires increase runoff due to the loss of vegetation and infrastructure damage.
According to the report, 95 percent of Southern California beaches received A or B grades for water quality during the dry summer weather. But it emphasized the negative impact of wildfires and rainy weather during the winter across the state.
The report calls on the state to improve efforts to capture storm water and treat it for reuse instead of allowing it to run into the ocean.
To read the full report, click here.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)