Safe to swim after Will Rogers State Beach clean up
WILL ROGERS STATE BEACH — At first glance, it’s hard to believe that the tranquil waters of a naturally occurring pond here could be the source of so much pollution in the Santa Monica Bay. Except for a few pieces of Styrofoam floating near baby birds swimming along the water’s edge, there is no sign of a health risk to swimmers.
That is until one takes a deep breath and sucks in the nauseating fumes of fecal bacteria; invisible to the eye, but extremely toxic for the body.
For years, this pool of urban runoff percolating from underground has been a thorn in the side of environmentalists, who blame the stagnant body of water near Chautaqua Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway for making Will Rogers State Beach one of the most polluted in the state.
Filled with fecal bacteria from the hundreds of birds who flock there each year, the water is toxic, but yet attractive to youngsters, posing a serious health risk. Also, at high tide the ocean water and the pond often mix, sending pollutants into the bay that cause swimmers to become ill.
All that changed this week as officials with the Los Angeles County Flood Control District drained the pond and used the power of three bulldozers to build a berm to prevent waves from pulling bacteria out into the ocean — hence the appearance Thursday morning of a relatively clean-looking body of water.
“I think that this move will not only give Will Rogers an A (on Heal the Bay’s annual beach report card), there shouldn’t be any more violations of the water quality standards at the beach, making it safe for the millions who swim there each year,” said Mark Gold, director of Heal the Bay, which was instrumental in pushing state commissioners to approve work permits for the project.“This beach has been a black
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 8, 2006. Read the original PDF.