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Heal the Bay Blog
(Los Angeles) – Heal the Bay is proud to announce it has been selected as a 2024 California Nonprofit of the Year by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin of District 42.
Heal the Bay is one of more than one hundred nonprofits that will be honored by their state senators and assemblymembers for their outstanding contributions to the communities they serve.
“Nonprofit organizations touch the lives of millions of Californians in ways that can often go unrecognized. From the childcare program to the soccer team, from the art class to the health clinic, and from the community organizer to the animal shelter – nonprofits improve the lives of all Californians and make our communities stronger,” said Geoff Green, CEO of the California Association of Nonprofits (CalNonprofits), a partner for this initiative. “Nonprofits are also a key economic driver in our state, accounting for 1 in 14 jobs. It’s important to recognize all they do.”
According to “Causes Count,” a 2019 report commissioned by CalNonprofits, the nonprofit sector is the 4th largest industry in the state, employing more than 1.2 million people. Each year, California nonprofits generate more than $273 billion in revenue and bring in $40 billion in revenue from outside of California. The unpaid labor contributed by volunteers at nonprofits is equivalent to 330,000 full-time jobs every year
Now in its ninth year, the Californian Nonprofit of the Year initiative provides the opportunity for each California state legislator to recognize a nonprofit organization doing outstanding work in their district. The program culminates with a celebratory luncheon at the Capitol on California Nonprofits Day, which this year is June 5.
The program is sponsored by the CalNonprofits in partnership with the state Senate and Assembly Select Committees on the Nonprofit Sector. CalNonprofits, the leading policy voice for California’s nonprofit sector, focuses on advocacy, education, and research to build a more powerful and politically engaged nonprofit network across the state.
-A note in partnership with the The California Association of Nonprofits
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October 29,2024 — There are exciting propositions that could lead to important environmental change on California’s general election ballot this year. We created this voter guide to help you make the most informed vote possible on the environmental issues facing California and Los Angeles. On November 5 (or earlier, if you’re voting by mail), cast your votes with confidence.
Heal the Bay is excited to share our insights and vision for how science and policy can protect the environments we cherish. We encourage voters to explore our resources and do their own research to make informed decisions. Your engagement is vital for safeguarding our coastal ecosystems.
Ready? Set! VOTE!
Proposition 4: California Climate Bond – the safe drinking water, wildfire prevention, drought preparedness, and clean air bond act
The issue: Approving Proposition 4 would authorize $10 billion to be spent on environmental and climate projects. The most significant portion, $3.8 billion, would be spent on water projects. Half of those funds would be earmarked to improve water quality. The remainder will be allocated to protecting the state from floods, droughts, and other activities, including restoring rivers and lakes. The rest of the money would be spent on:
- Wildfire and extreme heat projects, $1.95 billion.
- Natural lands, parks, and wildlife projects, $1.9 billion.
- Coastal lands, bays, and ocean protection, $1.2 billion.
- Clean energy projects, $850 million.
- Agricultural projects, $300 million.
The stakes: California has yet to recover from the multiple atmospheric rivers that fell between December 31, 2022, and March 25, 2023. The heavy rain fall resulted in massive property damage and at least 22 fatalities across the state. Intensifying storms, L.A.’s aging infrastructure, and ongoing sea level rise are ingredients for a perfect storm that could wreak havoc on coastal properties and shorelines while seriously straining our local economy. Is L.A. ready? Prop 4 gives our region a chance to build resiliency and buffer our fragile water systems against weather whiplash.
Our recommendation: Cast your ballot for climate ready beaches and neighborhoods. Vote YES.
Proposition 5: Lower voter threshold for local infrastructure bonds
The issue: State law currently requires a super majority (2/3) for passage of local housing and infrastructure bond measures, which restricts the ability of local voters to approve those bonds for their communities. Prop 5 would lower the threshold from 66.67% to 55% for passage of local bonds related to infrastructure for water, parks, housing, transportation and more.
The stakes: Los Angeles’ water infrastructure has been historically underfunded, which is why 33% of our sewage infrastructure is past its expected lifespan. We need to upgrade sewage infrastructure now as well as invest in water recycling and stormwater capture to improve water quality, protect public health, and to secure a reliable climate-resilient water supply. Prop 5 would apply to all local housing and infrastructure bond measures, and will, for example, allow local communities to more easily invest in critical water infrastructure.
Our recommendation: Making it easier to fund critical water infrastructure projects will protect public health. VOTE YES.
Measure US*: Aging LAUSD schools require urgent infrastructure funding
The issue: LAUSD schools need infrastructure funding. About 80% of the buildings were built over 50 years ago and need upgrades for student and faculty safety and daily experience. LAUSD owns 6,400 acres of land in Los Angeles which presents an enormous opportunity to include multi-benefit stormwater capture in property upgrades.
The stakes: LAUSD forecasts $80 billion in unfunded fixes and necessary campus improvements. This ranges from faulty A/C units, lack of shade and green space, leaky roofs, plumbing, and much more. As we experience hotter days and weather extremes in the face of climate change, we must prepare for the future and invest in spaces where our kids spend so much time. This $9 billion bond is the first step to address some of these disparities and work towards technology improvements for students, accessibility, and energy efficiency/electrification. Specifically, $1.25 billion is earmarked for school greening projects, like planting trees, increasing shade, ripping up asphalt, and creating outdoor learning spaces. These upgrades not only improve our students’ physical and mental health but can also capture stormwater, reducing the pollution reaching our coastal waterways.
Measure US funding will:
- Improve school safety
- Upgrade classrooms to prepare students for college and careers
- Replace leaky roofs, unreliable plumbing, electrical, and HVAC systems
- Update learning technology and infrastructure – including energy efficiency and electrification
- Improve schools for disability access and earthquake safety
- Renovate older schools to reduce disparities
- Upgrade old and deteriorating athletic facilities and play structures
- Create outdoor learning spaces and upgrade school yards
Our recommendation: Support investing in a healthier school environment for our LAUSD students. Greener schools mean greener communities. VOTE YES.
*City of Los Angeles voters only.
Got election questions? Not sure when/where/how/if to vote? Visit the Secretary of State’s election FAQ page.
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Coastal Cleanup Day 2024 brought out a true rainbow coalition of participants: 6,983 Volunteers cleaned 62 Sites, removing 19,209.47 Pounds of trash from our coastline and waterways!
These amazing efforts are only possible with your support.
“Protect what you love.” It’s a mantra I preached to our supporters during my tenure as Heal the Bay’s Communications Director a decade ago.
And if there’s one beach I love in greater LA, it’s Will Rogers State Beach in Santa Monica Canyon. Specifically, Tower 18, where my father served as an L.A. County lifeguard during my youth. So I felt a tug of connection when Heal the Bay asked me to be a last-minute captain there during last Saturday’s Coastal Cleanup Day. 
Our crew, led by volunteer Jennifer Cheong, contributed to a fantastic turnout over the weekend. In total, 6,626 volunteers joined Heal the Bay at 60 coastal and inland cleanup sites throughout Los Angeles County. These diligent supporters collected more than 19,209.47 pounds of trash. Over the past 30 years, our CCD volunteers have removed nearly 2 million pounds of debris from local shorelines and inland waterways.
Back in the ‘70s, Tower 18 became a gathering spot for a cross-section of the hip, tanned actors sunning themselves against a stone wall, waiting for a nearby pay phone to ring with a call from their agents. Fabled surfers like Miki Dora and Mickey Munoz prowled a series of surprisingly good beach breaks. World-class beach volleyball players competed ferociously in pickup games, sometimes joined by Lakers great Wilt Chamberlain.
Tower 18 was also home to the so-called Green Wall Gang, a beach-loving crew of Speedo-clad gay men who congregated near a bank of paddle-tennis courts. The beach served as a refuge and safe haven for the LGBTQ+ community at a time when overt discrimination, verbal abuse, and street violence flared against its members.
L.A. County Supervisor Lindsay Horvath hosted an event last year to honor the legacy of the site, known informally as “Ginger Rogers Beach” and to unveil a Pride Progress flag installation/wrap around the lifeguard tower there. The beach continues to attract ocean lovers of all stripes and sexual orientations.
So it didn’t come as a surprise to me when I pulled up to the parking lot Saturday and saw a group of men waiting in the parking lot for us, many with rainbow regalia. About a dozen members of the California Gay Adventurers association showed up on an overcast morning, armed with good will and cleanup buckets brought from home.
The organization, which has about 800 members, hosts social events, outdoor activities and community action throughout the state. One weekend you might find the local chapter bowling in Hollywood, the next hiking in the Santa Monica Mountains.
About two dozen CGA volunteers canvassed the sand in search of cigarette butts, plastic bottle caps and bits of Styrofoam. Joined by another 20 or so participants, the men put in a good two-hour shift. Returning to base camp with smiles on their faces, they had their collected debris weighed and cataloged.
Amid the comparing of hauls, one gentleman in a floppy khaki and a neat goatee beamed. He had, no doubt, won the unofficial contest for best find. He held out a washed-out, severely torn $20 bill. We assured him that if he had at least one set of serial numbers on the torn bill, he could redeem it at a local bank.
Another volunteer also found something of monetary value – a $1 poker chip from a local casino. A rusted-out pitchfork marked the most dangerous item found during our cleanup. In all, we removed more than 115 pounds of trash from just one small beach in two hours.
Single-use plastic items comprised the vast majority of the detritus: soda bottles, potato chip bags, straws and what-not. The heaps of trash served as a powerful testament to why Heal the Bay this week joined the California Attorney General in filing a landmark lawsuit against ExxonMobil, the world’s largest producer of plastic polymers.
Cleanups are fun, when conducted with good people like the CGA. But frankly, we’d rather not be doing them. With this bold suit, we aim to stop the harm at its source, rather than merely reducing the harm.
We know that we can’t solve the plastic crisis in a single morning of action. However, the commitment and enthusiasm shown by our volunteers is incredibly heartening to all of our staff. We thank you deeply.
Among the CCD heroes this past weekend:
- Site captain Joel Glen, who found his plans to clean up the East Fork of the San Gabriel River turned upside down by the recent Bridge Fire. Instead of giving up, he pivoted and established a new site at Eaton Canyon, mobilizing 27 volunteers within a week.
- The crew at Good Earth Community Garden and our new partners at BlueSkyLA helped us run a new restoration site in South L.A., with 67 participants.
- Bleu World, a diving organization that conducts citizen science, helped us bring back CCD sites to Catalina Island after a pandemic-related hiatus.
As a special thank you to all these healers, we are hosting a special celebration on Saturday evening at the CadFab Creative Gallery in Culver City. Libations and awards will be handed out. General public is invited too. Click here for details and registration.
If you couldn’t make it to this weekend’s event, we have good news. We host a monthly beach cleanup called Nothin’ but Sand at rotating locations throughout the region. You can find more information about those events here.
And if you’re feeling gratitude, you can join hundreds of other supporters in donating to our Exxon legal fund. The money will be used to defray the costs of our policy team collecting and analyzing data about single-used plastics for the Attorney General as we pursue our lawsuits. Contribute here.
Matthew King is a communications consultant for Heal the Bay and other nonprofits.
Heal the Bay Sues Big Plastic
Heal the Bay today took historic legal action to put an end to one of the existential threats facing our local beaches and ocean – plastic pollution.
We have joined a coalition of leading environmental groups in filing a lawsuit against ExxonMobil, the world’s largest producer of single-use plastic polymers. California’s Attorney General also filed a similar lawsuit today.
For the past 40 years, we’ve hosted tens of thousands of beach cleanups in L.A. County. Our volunteers have removed over 2 million pounds of plastic-strewn trash from our shorelines and inland waterways.
Today, we say “No more!”
Instead of cleaning up the wreckage created by Big Plastic, we are moving aggressively to stop the harm at its source.
What legal action did Heal the Bay take today?
The coalition complaint, filed in San Francisco Superior Court, alleges violations of California’s nuisance law and unfair competition law. In the suit, the plaintiffs argue there must be corporate accountability for a decades-long campaign to bury the truth about the known environmental, economic and human health impacts caused by plastics.
The bold action harkens back to Heal the Bay’s first victory in 1990, when it successfully secured a legal settlement with the City of Los Angeles to stop dumping partially treated sewage into the Bay from its Hyperion wastewater treatment facility.
Who else is backing the lawsuits against ExxonMobil?
For months, Heal the Bay’s policy staff has been quietly meeting with our peers at Surfrider Foundation, the Sierra Club and San Francisco Baykeeper. Today’s action marks the first step in a coordinated campaign to legally hold Big Oil accountable for the production of wasteful and harmful single-use plastics.
In April 2022, California Attorney General Rob Bonta launched an investigation into ExxonMobil (and other fossil fuel industry giants) for their role in the plastic pollution problem. Based on those findings, Bonta’s office today filed a concurrent lawsuit against Big Plastic. This marks a more aggressive approach to stop plastic pollution at its source rather than merely remediating it.
What are the environmental harms created by ExxonMobil?
As alleged in the complaint, ExxonMobil-produced polymer resins are responsible for over 6 million metric tons of plastic waste annually — equivalent to the weight of 300,000 garbage trucks. Polymers are used to produce so-called “nurdles.” These BB-sized plastic pellets are the building blocks of such wasteful and harmful single-use items as plastic bags, water bottles and snack packaging. This debris winds up contaminating our environment and our bodies, at every stage of its product lifecycle. By 2050, there will be more plastic in the world’s oceans than fish, according to some studies.
Why can’t we just do a better job of recycling single-use plastics?
Even with recycling programs in place for decades, less than 5% of domestic plastic is recycled into another plastic product, despite being labeled as “recyclable.” The vast majority of plastics end up littering our public places, winding up in overtaxed landfills, or floating in garbage vortexes in our oceans.
What are the ties between single-use plastics and the worsening climate crisis?
Given falling demand for gasoline as electric cars proliferate, plastics will be the greatest growth market for Big Oil in the next decade.
Plastic production and disposal are also a significant contributor to ever-worsening climate change, responsible for roughly 3% of all carbon emissions worldwide. The doubling of plastics production in the next two decades will contribute to the wildfires, famine and heat stroke that jeopardize the lives of millions.
How has plastic harmed our bodies?
Plastic pollution never biodegrades. Instead, plastic pollution breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces — sometimes referred to as microplastics. Avoiding microplastics in our daily lives is virtually impossible. It is in our drinking water, it is in the food we eat, and it is even in the air we breathe.
Over the course of a lifetime, the average person will unknowingly consume more than 40 pounds of plastic. Microplastics have been found in human blood, heart tissue, placentas, and even breast milk.
A Heal the Bay volunteer sorts through plastic pollution on a Southern California beach.
How can our supporters help?
Today’s filing is just the first step in what could be a years-long legal fight. Just as with our victory at Hyperion, a steady application of grassroots pressure will be required to force deep-pocketed Big Oil to change its harmful practices.
We will be calling on all our supporters in the coming months to add their voices to the chorus of everyday people fed up with single-use plastics. We will also need the financial assistance of donors to help defray costs associated with the lawsuit.
What are the next steps?
In the next few months, Heal the Bay’s science and policy team will continue to gather data to hold Big Oil’s feet to the fire.
DONATE TO SUPPORT THIS LEGAL ACTION
Today is just the first day in a long fight.
To receive regular updates on how you can make your voice heard, please click here.
Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant near El Segundo. Photo by Brittany Murray via LA Waterkeeper
Heal the Bay is encouraged that the City of Los Angeles has agreed to pay $20.8 million to make much-needed improvements at its Hyperion Water Reclamation Facility, the site of the 2021 sewage spill that saw 12.5 million gallons of untreated wastewater discharged to Santa Monica Bay.
Three years have passed since the significant spill at the Hyperion Treatment Plant, Los Angeles’ oldest and largest wastewater facility. Since the incident, Heal the Bay has been dedicated to collaborating with LA City Public Works and Sanitation, along with various agencies and organizations, to ensure that any issues within the plant’s system are swiftly addressed. Our ongoing efforts aim to safeguard the health and safety of Hyperion’s workers, the general public, and the environment. For details on Heal the Bay’s initial findings and subsequent recommendations, click here.
Approximately $20 million will be used to rectify ongoing operational issues recently identified by a Technical Advisory Group to ensure that the facility can safely treat wastewater even during large rain events. Those challenges will be exacerbated in the decades to come as climate impacts worsen and we see more frequent and more intense storms. Tracy Quinn, Heal the Bay’s CEO, served on the Technical Advisory Group.
The City of Los Angeles is still negotiating a settlement with the state’s Regional Water Quality Control Board over the massive 2021 spill. We are urging the Regional Board to impose meaningful fines that can be directed toward environmental projects to address the harm caused by discharge. Any fines should also be used to invest in technology that moves the City closer to producing potable recycled water instead of dumping treated wastewater uselessly into the sea. Stay tuned for further updates.
Local college students keep residents safe by conducting bacterial tests at freshwater sites throughout L.A. County.
The entire greater L.A. watershed – from the mountain to the sea – is all connected. The health of the ocean cannot be separated from the health of the inland waterways that feed it. Unfortunately, despite the popularity and heavy use of freshwater recreation sites throughout the state, there is still not a comprehensive statewide water quality monitoring or notification program like we have for ocean beaches.
That’s where Heal the Bay’s Stream Team steps in – powered by local students.
Protecting the public from potentially harmful water has been Heal the Bay’s mission for the past 30 years with the Beach Report Card. Inland neighborhoods deserve the same public health information that coastal communities have.
To meet the needs of those communities, Heal the Bay monitors water quality at 35 inland freshwater recreation sites in greater L.A. Our science and policy staff analyze samples taken from local creeks, rivers, swimming holes and storm drains for fecal indicator bacteria, which can cause a number of serious illnesses.
We are fortunate to have the assistance of 14 students from regional colleges and universities help us gather samples and report findings. This year’s Stream Team members are helping monitor 12 inland freshwater sites this summer, all within the greater Los Angeles area, from Sepulveda Basin to Long Beach and Malibu Creek State Park.
Now in its sixth year, the Stream Team program this summer welcomes students from California State University Long Beach, Los Angeles Trade Technical College, California State University Los Angeles, UCLA, UC Santa Barbara and UC Santa Cruz.
We are committed to giving students professional work opportunities. We focus on providing practical experience in environmental fieldwork and laboratory analysis, increased exposure to database entry and management and development of communication and outreach experience. Summer interns also learn best practices for engaging with community members and stakeholders to promote environmental awareness.
Stream Team members are in charge of sampling at their assigned sites and carefully transporting the samples back to their respective laboratories. Students are tasked with processing these samples, where they incubate for 24 hours. The next day, students assess the samples and determine levels of total coliforms, E. coli and enterococci.
Using these results along with testing results from Los Angeles Sanitation in the L.A. River Recreation Zones, students assess a total of 35 freshwater sample sites and calculate A+ through F letter grades, using the newly implemented grading system introduced last season. You can read about the latest River Report Card and an analysis of greater L.A.’s cleanest and most problematic freshwater recreation areas here.
These grades, assembled by several Stream Team members, are displayed on Heal the Bay’s River Report Card website, which is updated weekly throughout the summer (June to September).
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- After collecting samples at freshwater sites, students head to the lab to process these samples. Students from CSULB lab from left to right: Ellie Garcia, Emily Uy, Danny Herrera, Vina Rosa, and Zaria Alam.
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- Stream Team members stand outside one of the gates to enter the Los Angeles River. Left to right: Vina Rose, Emily Uy, Danny Herrera, Zaria Alam and Ellie Garcia.
As part of their work, Stream Team members were recently asked to share their experiences regarding the start of the 2024 sampling season. Some returning students have been working with Heal the Bay for several years. Some new students are joining the program for the first time.
Expectations vs First Impressions
Lyanne Fernandez: “Malibu Creek looked as expected but parts of the L.A. River vary greatly from site to site in ways that I did not expect. I never imagined how some parts of it look like a real, natural river.
Kate Medrano: “I had never actually visited the L.A. River, only seen it from a distance. I always just imagined it to be dirty and contaminated water, now I realize how much wildlife it contains and how diverse it really is.”
Sanam Viliani: “Before working for Heal the Bay, I had never visited the L.A. River, having only seen the creeks and drainage systems closer to the ocean. I expected the L.A. River to look similar, but I was surprised to find it had much more vegetation than I had imagined.”
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- Returning students notice changes in sampling sites compared to last season. Vina Matias pictured above preparing to sample at the Compton Creek site in the Lower LA River.
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- Stream Team members collect a sample at a section of the LA River at Willow St that is completely channelized.
A Future for Freshwater
Vina Matias: “Water is important for many aspects of life for both humans and animals. It’s required for living organisms to function, it can serve as habitats, it supports recreational activities, and so on. River monitoring contributes to the health of rivers because the data shows us their current status… With the data collected, we can understand how current policies and protocols are having an impact. Additionally, this data can help support the need for a plan of action to improve and protect our water sources… The data we collect is the starting point for action.”
Danny Herrera-Lopez: “This work is crucial for the community and environment because not only does it give us tangible evidence of pollution occurring all along the L.A. River but it also helps educate the population and locals on how we personally are being affected and how local wildlife is affected.”
Vicente Villaseñor: “Our work with the Summer Stream Team contributes to the understanding and protecting local water resources through education. Our findings of each site showcase to the public the levels of water quality, and by doing so, we are informing the public about the inherent risk that comes with natural bodies of water, whether that is through the L.A. River or the Pacific Ocean. There are always risks with local water resources, and we only try to provide information for their own sake. This is critical for the community and the environment that there is a group actively supporting groups of people’s use and access to clean safe water.”
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- Stream Team members at Oso Park, on their first day of sampling. Left to right: Sanam Viliani, Lyanne Fernandez, David Martinez, Kate Medrano, Blaire Edwards and Vicente Villaseñor.
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- Stream Team members watch as samples are taken at Rock Pool, part of the Malibu Creek watershed. Left to right: Annelisa Moe, Thais Arata, Amy Flores and Alex Miranda.
Our River Report Card aims to keep summer stream-goers safe and informed about water quality. Through consistent efforts, Heal the Bay hopes to create substantive and lasting change in how the L.A. River is managed so that all Angelenos can have equal access to safe and clean freshwater.
Our work would not be possible without the contributions of our team of students: Amy Flores, Vina Rose Matias, Lyanne Fernandez, Danny Herrera-Lopez, Thais Arata, Vicente Villasenor, Kate Medrano, Sanam Viliani, Emily Uy, Ellie Garcia, Zaria Alam, Alejandra Miranda, David Garcia and Blaire Edwards.
Before you explore our watershed this summer, remember not to swim for up to three days after a rain event, and check the River Report Card before you go. By making informed decisions, we can keep ourselves and our community safe.
Support our River Report Card and Stream Team Program with a $30 donation today!
Donate
Which freshwater sites in L.A. made the grade in our annual pollution rankings?
Heal the Bay today released its annual ranking of freshwater summer recreation areas in Los Angeles County based on levels of fecal indicator bacteria. Twenty-two (or 64%) of 35 sites received A+, A or B grades for summer 2023.
Those high marks indicate that these areas are safe for swimming, kayaking, fishing and other recreational uses.
The entire greater L.A. watershed – from the mountain to the sea – is all connected. The health of the ocean cannot be separated from the health of the inland waterways that feed it.
So, it’s encouraging that freshwater recreation sites earn safe water quality grades a majority of the time. But there’s room for improvement – especially considering that 90% of L.A. ocean beaches scored very good grades during the same summer period.
The Honor Roll
Ten sites earned an annual A+ grade:
- Hansen Dam Lake (L.A. River Watershed – Upper)
- Hidden Springs (L.A. River Watershed – Upper)
- Big Tujunga Creek at Vogel Flats (L.A. River Watershed – Upper)
- Big Tujunga Creek at Delta Flats (L.A. River Watershed – Upper)
- Gould Mesa (L.A. River Watershed – Upper)
- San Gabriel River Upper West Fork (San Gabriel River Watershed)
- San Gabriel River Upper East Fork (San Gabriel River Watershed)
- San Gabriel River East Fork at Cattle Canyon (San Gabriel River Watershed)
- San Gabriel River at Upper Cattle Canyon (San Gabriel River Watershed)
- Malibu Creek at Rock Pool (Malibu Creek Watershed)
The further one travels down the L.A. River Watershed, the worse the water quality. Pollutants enter from runoff that flows from highly urbanized and industrial areas in the lower River. Sites in these areas dominate our list of freshwater spots that chronically score poorly for bacterial pollution.
Freshwater Fails
Six sites received an annual F grade, which placed them on our Freshwater Fails list. Water contact should be avoided in these areas:
- L.A. River at Compton Creek (L.A. River Watershed–Lower)
- L.A. River at Compton Creek Confluence (L.A. River Watershed–Lower)
- Bull Creek (L.A. River Watershed–Upper)
- Tujunga Wash at Hansen Dam (L.A. River Watershed–Upper)
- L.A. River at Willow St. (L.A. River Watershed–Lower)
- L.A. River at the confluence of Rio Hondo (L.A. River Watershed–Lower)
Sources of pollution include urban runoff, leaks or spills from wastewater systems, illegal discharges, and failing wastewater infrastructure. Contact with fecal bacteria can cause a slew of health problems.
Unlike ocean beaches, there is no statewide oversight, standardization, or funding for freshwater bacterial monitoring, nor are there mandated public water quality notifications for freshwater recreational areas. Regulatory permits for discharge into surface waters often require monitoring, but the data collected are not typically shared with the public in an accessible format.
To fill that gap, Heal the Bay has monitored freshwater recreational areas since 2014. We invested in the expanded River Report Card in 2017 and made it available for free to the public.
“Heal the Bay is committed to ensuring everyone is informed about the condition of their local waters,” said Dr. Tania Pineda Enriquez, the staff scientist who assembled this year’s report. “We want to enable all residents to make safe choices when they recreate at our increasingly accessible and popular freshwater recreational areas.”
Heal the Bay’s science and policy team urges local government agencies to take the following steps to better protect public health in freshwater recreation spots:
· Pursue reasonable ratepayer hikes to upgrade outdated sewage treatment facilities and prioritize public investment in nature-based, multi-benefit stormwater capture infrastructure.
· Provide greater transparency and urgency in alerting the public about potential health hazards at pollution-impacted waterways
· Use consistent and comprehensive water quality testing year-round to include established culture-based methods and new rapid testing, where appropriate, with additional studies to evaluate new methods.
Read the Full River Report Card
Before heading to the water, the public can see updated water quality grades for their local freshwater recreation areas at healthebay.org/riverreportcard. iPhone users can also download the Beach Report Card app on their mobile devices.
We also want to send a special shout-out to our local college students that helped collect and analyze water quality data. The report would not be possible without their diligence and hard work.
We welcomed 12 associates to our river monitoring program last year — the highest number of hires in a single summer to date. Students hailed from California State University Long Beach, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles Trade Technical College, and California State University Los Angeles, with graduates from University of California Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara.
Additionally, our ongoing partnerships with Los Angeles Trade Technical College and California State University Long Beach have significantly expanded our operational reach. By using their laboratory facilities to process river water samples, we have enhanced our capacity for water quality monitoring and analysis.
Climate change, aging infrastructure cited in Heal the Bay’s annual Beach Bummer list.
Heal the Bay issued its 34th annual Beach Report Card today, issuing A-to-F grades to more than 700 beaches along the Pacific Coast based on levels of bacterial pollution in 2023-2024. The lower the grade, the greater the chance of ocean-goers getting sick.
This year’s report is really a story of two seasons – summer and not summer.
The good news is that nearly 90% of monitored California beaches received A or B water-quality grades for the dry-weather summer months. That figure is close to the state’s 10-year summer average, but does mark a 6% drop from our last Report Card.
That means beach lovers had a very good chance of finding a shoreline with safe water quality during the state’s prime ocean recreation period (April-October 2023). To read the entire report and see how your favorite beach fared, please click here.
Southern California beaches (Santa Barbara to San Diego counties) got 90% A or B grades in the summer. NorCal beaches (Del Norte to Marin counties) also earned 90% A or B summer grades, while Central California beaches (San Francisco to San Luis Obispo counties) notched 84% A or B marks.
But surfers and other year-round ocean-goers weren’t as fortunate.
During the dry winter season (Nov. 2023-March 2024), only 66% of the 501 beaches monitored in California received overall A or B grades, well below the state’s 10-year winter average.
Coastal counties in California received 31% more rainfall during the winter reporting period than the 10-year average. The deluge flushed bacteria and other pollutants through storm drains into the ocean and caused numerous sewage spills, which dramatically impacted water quality.
The poor winter grades underscore two of the biggest ongoing beach water-quality challenges for the state: worsening climate change and crumbling infrastructure.
More frequent and more severe storms will only exacerbate the urban runoff that pollutes our sea. It’s critical that the state and municipalities invest in more stormwater capture projects that will cleanse, hold and reuse water rather than sending polluted runoff to the sea. It’s a double-win for our drought-challenged state.
Separately, the state is seeing an uptick in sewage spills thanks to overtaxed sanitation systems during storms and to outdated sewer systems that are breaking down because of age or inadequate upkeep. Heal the Bay supports reasonable ratepayer increases to help sanitation agencies keep up with inflation and our new climate reality.
Heal the Bay’s annual Beach Bummer List
Here’s a ranking of the 10 most polluted beaches in Summer Dry Weather along the West coast in 2023-24:
1. Tijuana River Mouth (San Diego County)
2. Playa Blanca (Baja, Mexico)
3. Santa Monica Pier (Los Angeles County)
4. Tijuana Slough (San Diego County)
5. Linda Mar Beach (San Mateo County)
6. Lakeshore Park (San Mateo County)
7. Imperial Beach at Seacoast Drive (San Diego County)
8. Border Field State Park (San Diego County)
9. Marina del Rey Mother’s Beach (Los Angeles County)
10. El Faro (Baja, Mexico)
The Beach Bummers in San Diego County and Baja all suffer from persistent sewage issues. The Tijuana River annually discharges tens of millions of gallons of untreated sewage into the ocean, originating from inadequate sanitation infrastructure in Tijuana.
Enhancements are underway, including the U.S. EPA-funded upgrades to the Punta Bandera treatment plant and the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plan. Heal the Bay advises against swimming at these beaches until the upgrades are completed, which may take a decade or more.
The City of Santa Monica has wrestled for years with poor water quality at the Pier, which is plagued with droppings from roosting birds and urban runoff. The enclosed Mother’s Beach in Los Angeles County might attract families because of its placid waters, but very poor circulation has led to chronic bacterial exceedances. Families beware.
In San Mateo County, Linda Mar Beach has been impacted by pollution primarily through San Pedro Creek, which channels urban runoff directly to the ocean. Lakeshore Park, located within a network of stagnant water channels in San Francisco Bay, suffers from poor circulation and chronically impaired water quality.
On a more positive note, 12 California beaches made Heal the Bay’s Honor Roll in this year’s report, meaning they earned perfect A+ grades every week in all summer and winter reporting periods. While that’s reason to celebrate, that total is a notable decrease from the 30-50 sites typically named as Honor Roll beaches in past reports. The very wet winter caused many past honorees to suffer from bacterial exceedances.
Steps you can take to stay healthy at the beach:
• Visit beachreportcard.org for weekly grades
• 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
Read the Full Beach Report Card
When you turn on the tap, do you know where your drinking water comes from?
The typical Angeleno has no idea that the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power imports nearly a third of its water from the distant Owens Valley, known by the indigenous Paiute people as Payahuunadü, “The Land of the Flowing Water.”
This water (paya) comes through the LA Aqueduct, which diverts Eastern Sierra snowmelt from the Owens River and Owens Lake. Payahuunadü once served as an oasis with plentiful water supplies. The Paiute people (Nüümü) lived off the land, aided by irrigation channels that spread water throughout the valley.
Within a short time period, the City of Los Angeles drastically reshaped the area with a gravity fed water conveyance system hailed as an engineering miracle when it launched in 1913.
But that 233-mile network of channels and conduits had devastating repercussions for the people and the environment that continue to this day. It essentially eliminated the once-thriving Owens Valley ecosystem and any viable farming.
Photo by Teena Pugliese, walking-water.org
This stark reality was brought into sharp focus for Heal the Bay’s science, policy, and outreach team during a recent trip to the Owens Valley. To better understand L.A.’s checkered relationship with water, seven staff members attended a two-day Walk of Resilience and Accountability hosted by Walking Water, a nonprofit aiming to restore our relationships with water, lands, and people.
In the coming weeks, we will share more details of our journey and staff reflections on how to better secure L.A.’s water future while repairing the harm done to the Owens Valley and its people.
The LA Aqueduct brought water to greater LA in response to continued urbanization and growth of the city in the late 1800s and early 1900s. William Mulholland and the city agency he led, which would become LADWP, looked to the north for new sources of water for thirsty LA.
At opening ceremonies for the Aqueduct, Mulholland famously (and problematically) said of the diverted water: “There it is, take it.” LADWP had bought up property in the Owens Valley, parcel by parcel, posing as ranchers and farmers, to acquire water rights. The movie Chinatown is loosely based on this true story.
Within approximately 10 years, the Aqueduct had completely drained Owens Lake (Patsiata), resulting in the loss of navigable waters, habitat, and an important local food source. The dry lakebed became a major source of dust pollution. Owens Lake has been named as the largest source of dust (specifically PM10) in the U.S., according to the USEPA.
The diversions had and continue to have major detrimental impacts to the environment, people, and wildlife of the Owens Valley. Harmful metals left in the dry lakebed blow across the Valley, causing a slew of breathing problems and other harms to many local residents. Without abundant water, the Paiute people lost their economic livelihood and way of life.
Lawsuits and regulations led to required mitigation for the dust by LADWP, which began the largest dust control project in the nation in the early 2000s. Dust mitigation involves physical alteration of the drained lakebed, irrigation with sprinklers, and planting to keep the dust in place.
During our tour, Heal the Bay connected with staff from the Owens Valley Indian Water Commission, local tribes, and allies. We walked, learned, reflected, and connected with water and each other. 
We trekked down into and around Patsiata and visited the Three Creeks Collective — land that has been given back to indigenous tribes through the Owens Valley Indian Water Commission and the Collective.
The trip was humbling and transformational for those who attended. We felt incredible gratitude for the experience and to the local indigenous elders and community members and allies for welcoming us so openly.
We heard numerous requests and demands of local agencies, the main one being to the return of local water rights to Payahuunadü.
The City of Los Angeles has grown because of the decisions of the past to divert water from Owens Valley. Nearly 4 million people and a robust economy depend on that water.
Untangling from that water supply will require significantly reduced water demand, innovative planning, and billions of dollars for new water supply and storage infrastructure.
Heal the Bay, and others are actively pushing greater LA to become more water-independent through increased stormwater capture and wastewater recycling. And that will require both higher rates on local water bills and increased infrastructure investment by government agencies. All of these factors affect civic and individual pocketbooks.
Without low-income rate assistance, burdens for these investments will be placed on communities already struggling to pay for their basic needs. Balancing all these competing interests will require great care, diplomacy, and collaboration. Heal the Bay is committed to leading these policy discussions with respect for all interested parties and with science-based recommendations.
We must prioritize truly local water. We can no longer justify diversions from Owens Valley. The ecosystem and environmental justice harms created by the Los Angeles Aqueduct should be rectified by leaving more or all of the water in Payahuunadü and mitigating for past and current impacts.
Here are some great resources to help you get involved in this issue:
Learn More
Websites: The Owens Valley Indian Water Commission, The Three Creeks Collective
Visit: Owens Valley Paiute Shoshone Cultural Center
Watch: Paya – The Water Story of the Paiute (only available on DVD), The Aqueduct Between Us
Provide Financial Support
Donate financially to the Owens Valley Indian Water Commission
Walk the Land
The next Walks of Resilience and Accountability will be in Los Angeles Oct. 24-26. Register here.
Register for the ongoing virtual Water Learning Series.
Stay tuned: In our next installment, Heal the Bay staffers will share eyewitness accounts of their walking journey.
Heal the Bay wins 2024 California Nonprofit of the Year Award!
Thanks to your generous support, Heal the Bay has accomplished award-winning successes for our coastal waters. As we continue our journey into 2025, we invite you to stand with us and help fuel our mission.
Every contribution makes a difference in preserving and protecting our precious marine environment. Join us in riding the wave of change!