Heal the Bay Releases Annual Beach Report Card Honor Roll and Beach Bummers Lists
Summer is officially here – the peak season for swimming outdoors. Heal the Bay releases its annual scientific report on bacterial-pollution rankings for hundreds of beaches in California.
For more than 30 years, Heal the Bay has assigned annual “A-to-F” letter grades for 700 beaches from Washington State to Tijuana, Mexico, including 500 California beaches in the 2024-2025 report, based on levels of fecal-indicator bacterial pollution in the ocean measured by County health agencies. The public can check out the updated water quality of their local ocean beaches at beachreportcard.org or by downloading the app on their smartphone.
BEACH BUMMER LIST
Heal the Bay’s Beach Bummer List ranks the most polluted beaches in California based on levels of harmful bacteria in the ocean.
BEACH HONOR ROLL LIST
This year, 62 out of over 500 monitored beaches in California earned a spot on the Honor Roll, a significant improvement from just 12 beaches last year and only two in 2022–2023. This return to a higher Honor Roll count reflects levels more consistent with the reporting five
years ago. The increase in beaches on the Honor Roll this year is likely attributed to less overall rainfall during the 2024–2025 winter season, leading to substantially improved overall coastal water quality.
See the full 2024-2025 Honor Roll (62 Beaches)
Watch the LIVE Press Conference
TIPS TO STAY SAFE AT OCEAN AND FRESHWATER AREAS
- View beachreportcard.org and healthebay.org/riverreportcard for the latest water quality information.
- Avoid shallow, enclosed beaches with poor water circulation.
- Swim at least 100 yards away from flowing storm drains, creeks, and piers.
- Stay out of the water for at least 72-hours after a rain event.
- Follow all local health and safety regulations, including all local pandemic-related regulations.
- Check in with the lifeguard or ranger on duty for more information about the best places to swim.
- Stay in the know! This year, the annual reports received state and national coverage – appearing in the New York Times, LA Times, and Associated Press.
ACCESS TO WATER RECREATION
The COVID-19 pandemic, record-setting wildfire seasons, and extreme heat have compounded the already dire need for equity in our recreational waters, and exposed major systemic failures; open spaces, including beaches and rivers, are not equally accessible to all people. Low-income communities of color tend to be the most burdened communities, bearing the brunt of environmental pollution, socioeconomic disparities, and limited access to safe, healthy, and clean water recreation. Heal the Bay is committed to expanding the user base of our Beach Report Card and River Report Card. We have started by working with local community-based organizations that are taking down barriers to water recreation for communities of color. Through this work, we will amplify what “safe, healthy, and clean access to water recreation” means in the communities where it is needed the most.
WATCH THE FULL 2024- 2025 PRESS CONFERENCE
About Heal the Bay: Heal the Bay is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 1985. They use science, education, community action, and advocacy to fulfill their mission to protect coastal waters and watersheds in Southern California with a particular focus on public health, climate change, biodiversity, and environmental justice. Heal the Bay Aquarium, located at the Santa Monica Pier, welcomes 100,000 guests annually and hosts a variety of public programs and events that highlight local environmental issues and solutions. Learn more at healthebay.org and follow @healthebay on social media or watch this short video.
The Beach Report Card Heal with NowCast, in partnership with SIMA Environmental Fund, and SONY Pictures Entertainment, is Heal the Bay’s flagship scientific water quality monitoring program that started in the 1990s. For more than thirty years, the Beach Report Card has influenced the improvement of water quality by increasing monitoring efforts and helping to enact strong environmental and public health policies. Learn more at beachreportcard.org and download the free app on Apple and Android devices. The Beach Report Card is made possible through generous support from SIMA Environmental Fund and SONY Pictures Entertainment.
About River Report Card: Currently, there is no statewide water quality monitoring mandate for rivers and streams in California, like exists for the ocean as a result of the Beach Report Card. Heal the Bay started the River Report Card in 2017 to push for new public health protections for freshwater areas in addition to serving the immediate need for increased public awareness about the risks at popular freshwater recreation areas in Los Angeles County. Learn more at healthebay.org/riverreportcard. The River Report Card is supported by Environment Now.
Download Press Release in English