Montana Ave. beach a summer ‘bummer’
SM BAY — Even though summer has officially started, it does-n’t mean it’s safe to swim at local beaches.
Three Santa Monica beaches in the past week have received a failing grade from Heal the Bay, a Santa Monica-based nonprofit group dedicated to cleaning up the bay. Santa Monica Canyon, the Pico/Kenter area near Bay Street and just south of the Santa Monica Pier received an “F” for water quality. That rating is typical in the winter months, when rainfall washes pollution directly into the ocean through stormwater runoff. Typically by the end of May, bacteria levels should dissipate as does the rainfall, officials said.
However, due to the 30 inches of rain the region got hit with throughout the winter and early spring, the bay is taking longer to recover. Topanga, a popular surf spot just north of Santa Monica Canyon, also received an “F” this past week.
“We are still seeing heavier flows mixing into the ocean,” said James Alamillo, a Heal the Bay spokesman who tracks the beach report card. “The watershed is still draining.”
The northern region is better off than the southern region because it has large watersheds draining from the Santa Monica Mountains that allow the water to percolate and the area is less populated, Alamillo said. The south portion of the bay is heavily urbanized and has small watersheds.
“All that water flows quickly into the ocean, and they are still draining,” he added. “What that means to the beach-goer is you have to be aware of where they are swimming.”
While many are familiar with the saying “don’t swim near the pipe” in an effort to avoid direct contact with high bacteria levels near storm drains, Alamillo advises people to swim at County Line near Ventura County or head to the South Bay, where water quality is normal.
Alamillo said he expects the areas with poor water quality ratings to return to normal levels by mid-July.
“This is not uncharacteristic in high rain years,” he said, adding most people expect water quality to return to adequate levels before the summer months, especially if there hasn’t been any rain. “Out of sight, out of mind. People think that if we aren’t getting rain then water quality is better.”
Water quality near Santa Monica Pier is almost always an issue because of pollution from human activity. Swimming 50 feet on either side of the pier is off limits for that reason, as well as for safety reasons.
“Things get tossed over the pier,” Alamillo said. “Usually the problem’s associated with large piers where you have restaurants, fishing and lots of people, it attracts a lot of birds and they can become a problem as well. They roost and it contaminates the water.”
The report card grades about 350 locations year-round and about 460 locations in dry weather from April to October on an A-F scale, based on the risk of adverse health effects to swimmers and surfers. The grades are based on daily and weekly fecal bacteria pollution levels in the surf zone.
Water samples are analyzed for bacteria that indicate pollution from numerous sources, including fecal waste. The higher the grade a beach receives, the lower the risk of illness to ocean users.
Another area that officials expect to be problematic this summer is off Montana Avenue, one of the biggest “beach bummers” listed in Heal the Bay’s annual report card released in May.
Santa Monica Beach at Montana Avenue plummeted from a 2003-2004 summer dry weather grade of “A” to an “F” with bacteria levels in June 2004 far exceeding the threshold for what’s healthy.
That area of the beach received a “D” grade for water quality during the dry months, between April through October 2004, and an “F” between April 2004 and March 2005.
Engineers from Los Angeles County are currently designing a diversion for the area, which should be completed by the fall or winter, said Craig Perkins, director of the city of Santa Monica’s environmental and public works management. For the past year, stormwater runoff has gone straight into the ocean at that location and is expected to continue until the next rainy season. The $1 million project is being mostly paid for through grants — about $800,000. The engineering work is being provided with in-kind services from Los Angeles County, saving Santa Monica City Hall between $200,000 to $300,000, Perkins said.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 22, 2005. Read the original PDF.