The Santa Monica-based nonprofit organization Heal the Bay this week released the “Beach Report Card — 2004 Summer in Review,” which provides a recap of water quality testing from Memorial Day 2004 through Labor Day 2004. This summer’s report card is based on dry weather testing of bacteria in the water, and now monitors 436 locations from Oregon to the Mexico border.
This summer, 382 out of 436 locations (88 percent) across California were rated very good-to-excellent (A or B), a slight decrease from the 397 beaches out of 448 monitored in 2003 (89 percent) that received A or B grades last summer.
Some of the worst beaches this summer were Cabrillo Beach (harborside at the lifeguard tower in San Pedro) and Avalon Beach (between the Pier and Busy Bee Restaurant in Catalina) in Los Angeles County; Campbell Cove State Park Beach in Sonoma County; Stillwater Cove (at the Beach and Tennis Club) in Monterey County; Baker Beach (at Lobos Creek) in San Francisco County; Pillar Point Harbor (at the end of Westpoint Avenue) in San Mateo County; Dana Point Harbor (Baby Beach), Poche Beach, and Newport Bay (at 38th Street Beach) in Orange County; and Pacific Beach (at Pacific Beach Point, downcoast of Linda Way) and Mission Bay (at the Visitor’s Center, a projection of Clairemont Drive) in San Diego County.
More details, as well as the full grades, are available online at www.healthe-bay.org.
“This summer, Los Angeles County had the worst water quality in Southern California while San Diego, Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties all had excellent water quality,” said Mark Gold, executive director of Heal the Bay. “Heal the Bay is working to clean up some of California’s most polluted beaches, and if Los Angeles City Proposition O passes on November 2, the City of Los Angeles will have the means to better address our chronic pollution problems.”
Heal the Bay, founded in 1985, is dedicated to making Santa Monica Bay and California coastal waters safe and healthy again for people and marine life. Heal the Bay is one of the largest nonprofit environmental organizations in Los Angeles County, with more than 10,000 members. The organization focuses on education, outreach, research and advocacy to achieve its goals.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 30, 2004. Read the original PDF.