For the past couple of years, the water testing that helps keep people safe from polluted water has been in serious jeopardy. Monitoring agencies and dischargers all up and down the coast of California used to get state funds to test ocean water for bacteria. Heal the Bay takes the results of those tests and creates the Beach Report Card, translating hardcore science into usable information. But in 2009, Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed the $1 Million in state funding, leaving agencies with no way to pay for monitoring. They pieced together funding for the last couple years, but it was set to run out on Jan. 1, 2011. Now, in good news for all the swimmers and surfers out there, the State Water Board just voted to continue funding the program for another year. That doesn’t mean we’re out of the woods yet, it just means we have one more year to find a permanent funding source before beach bacteria monitoring, and the Beach Report Card, disappear. Read more in this article from the LA Times. http://lat.ms/c3lf12
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Heal the Bay Blog
Category: News
All public offices are now officially for sale — thanks to last year’s disastrous U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing corporations to buy elections with unlimited corporate donations. The corporatizing of Congress and state legislatures has been discussed forever. But the upcoming Nov. 2 election is an eye-opening example of Big Business aiming to further its interests to the detriment of our environment.
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Heal the Bay’s Beach Report Card® expanded its coverage northward from California this summer by providing weekly grades for over 150 popular beaches in Oregon and Washington. By expanding the Beach Report Card, Pacific Northwest beachgoers will now be able to make informed decisions about which beaches to frequent and when. With the addition of the new Oregon and Washington locations to those of California, the Beach Report Card now grades 500+ beaches along the entire U.S. West Coast—from Mexico to Canada.
The Beach Report Card
More BRC Information
- 2010 Summer Report Card
PDF: 2.81MB- FAQs
- Historical Data
- Background Information
Grading System & Terminology- Research & Scientific
As in California, grades are calculated using water quality monitoring data provided by local health agencies and regulators who are responsible for actually sampling and testing the water.
You have the right to know how clean your favorite beach is, and Heal the Bay is dedicated to making that information clear, concise, and accurate. In addition, Heal the Bay also hopes to use the Beach Report Card grades to call for more frequent monitoring at those beaches that need it, and we hope it will help call attention to some of the more troublesome pollution spots in the Pacific Northwest.
The 2010 End of Summer Beach Report Card recaps Oregon and Washington summer water quality and weekly grades are available at the online Beach Report Card during the summer months.
(Note: because there aren’t many people in the water during the Pacific Northwest winter, Oregon and Washington beaches are only monitored during the summer).
The California Coastal Commission voted unanimously 11-0 at its October 13, 2010 meeting to approve the State Parks and Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission plan to restore Malibu Lagoon. Being the last permit approval needed, the rehabilitation can proceed next summer which will increase the salt marsh by four acres and provide long-needed water circulation.
Many thanks to the environmental group support during the hearing from Santa Monica Baykeeper, the local Audubon, Surfrider and Sierra Club chapters, Malibu Surfing Assn. and Friends of Ballona.
Learn More
- A Clear Victory for Malibu Lagoon
Spouting Off Blog- Malibu Lagoon Restoration Project: Q & A
PDF: 349kb- Malibu Lagoon Restoration Project: Technical Information
PDF: 335kb
Final Plan Documents
- Final Malibu Lagoon Restoration Plan
PDF: 2.81MB- Final Plan Appendix
PDF: 4.79MB
After many years of planning, studies and debate, work can finally proceed to restore a functioning brackish lagoon ecosystem.
Background
Malibu Lagoon is a 13 acre shallow water embayment occurring at the terminus of the Malibu Creek Watershed, the second largest watershed draining into Santa Monica Bay. Malibu Lagoon empties into the Pacific Ocean at world famous Malibu Surfrider Beach. World renowned as a surfing and recreational destination, Surfrider Beach receives approximately 1.5 million visitors every year.
Since the early 1900’s, increased human activity has degraded the Malibu Lagoon and the surrounding wetland ecosystem. The lagoon had previously been used as a dump site for fill material by Cal Trans and others in the 1950’s and 60’s. By the late 1970’s the site was completely filled and housed two baseball fields. The size of the lagoon has been greatly diminished by urban development along the coast. In addition, urbanization upstream in the Malibu Creek Watershed has increased the volume of water transported into the lagoon and urban pollution has significantly diminished the quality of that water.
To address this situation, Heal the Bay, in cooperation with the California Department of Parks and Recreation under a grant from the California State Coastal Conservancy, coordinated the preparation of a restoration plan for Malibu Lagoon.
Tomorrow marks a milestone day for environmental rehabilitation in Malibu, Surfrider Beach and Santa Monica Bay. The much-needed restoration of oxygen-starved Malibu Lagoon faces one more regulatory obstacle Wednesday — California Coastal Commission approval. Because the project has gone through an extensive public involvement and CEQA process, including a legally unchallenged EIR approved in 2006, one would have hoped that the effort to remove polluted sediments and rebuild the lagoon would remain free of controversy.
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Sanity was restored last week to the California State Fish and Game Commission’s efforts to establish a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Southern California. The Schwarzenegger administration has long made it a priority to meet the requirements of the Marine Life Protection Act, which calls for establishing a statewide network on MPAs.
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Marking an encouraging trend, California beachgoers basked in a fourth consecutive summer of excellent water quality, according to the 2010 End of Summer Beach Report Card® released September 29, 2010 by Heal the Bay.
The Report
- 2010 Summer Report Card
PDF 300kb
Press Releases
Online Beach Report Card
In its latest survey, Heal the Bay assigned an A-to-F letter grade to 453 beaches along the California coast, based on levels of bacterial pollution reported from Memorial Day through Labor Day. This summer, 92% of sites received A or B grades, which is similar to last year.
Testing is Threatened
But in a very troubling twist, state funding for routine water quality testing along California beaches may be eliminated next January due to the statewide budget crisis. If regional ocean-testing agencies can not secure the necessary funds, they will be forced to end water quality monitoring and the associated warning signs and public notification systems. Any cutbacks in testing pose a significant health risk for the millions of beachgoers who enter California oceans each year. Heal the Bay will continue to work with state and local governments to ensure funding for these critical programs.
Inaugural Report Card for the Pacific Northwest
In another development, Heal the Bay this year expanded the reach of its popular Report Card to the
Pacific Northwest. Working with local monitoring agencies, the organization issued its first set of
summertime water-quality grades for 154 beaches in Washington and Oregon. Overall, Pacific Northwest ocean users enjoyed very good water quality.
Southern California
Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County beaches were relatively clean this summer, with 79% of beaches receiving an A or B grade (similar to last year). Some of the beaches of most concern in L.A. this summer: Avalon Beach on Catalina, Long Beach’s Colorado Lagoon, Will Rogers at Temescal Canyon and Cabrillo Beach.
The perennially polluted Santa Monica Pier showed dramatic improvement this season, most likely from a number of water quality improvement projects over the past year. Santa Monica Pier received an A grade for the reporting period, which is a marked improvement from previous D and F grades.
Orange County
Orange County once again enjoyed great water quality this summer, with 97% of beaches receiving an A or B grade. Poche Beach and Newport Bay at Garnet Avenue received F grades, while perennially polluted Doheny Beach received a D grade. All historically poor beaches in Dana Point (Baby beach) received A grades.
San Diego County
San Diego County had excellent water quality, with all 77 monitored beaches winning an A or B grade (76 As and 1 B).
Ventura County
Overall water quality at beaches throughout Ventura County was excellent again this summer and among the best in the state. All 40 monitoring locations received A grades. Unfortunately, that figure is down from the 54 historically monitored locations, due to budget cuts.
Santa Barbara County
Water quality at beaches in Santa Barbara County was fairly good this summer, with 88% of monitored beaches receiving an A or B grade. Goleta Beach (C) and Arroyo Burro (F) were the only locations that did not earn an A or B grade.
Central and Northern California
In Central and Northern California, beach water quality was generally speaking very good. The beaches that received D or F grades include: Cowell Beach and Capitola Beach in Santa Cruz, Aquatic
About the Beach Report Card
The Beach Report Card is based on the routine monitoring of beaches by local health agencies and dischargers. Water samples are analyzed for bacteria that indicate pollution from numerous sources. Heal the Bay analyzes the data and assigns easy-to-understand grades to each beach. The better the grade a beach receives, the lower the risk of illness to ocean users.
Users can check updated weekly grades at www.beachreportcard.org. Heal the Bay offers the searchable online database as a free public service. Users can find out which beaches are safe and unsafe, check recent water quality history and look up details on beach closures.
Heal the Bay’s Beach Report Card is made possible by the generous support of The Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation, simplehuman, Grousbeck Family Foundation, Carlson Family Foundation, Inc., and Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA). Heal the Bay’s Beach Report Card is in its 20th year.
I’ve been going to temple since I was 3 years old. Although our
family is very involved in the University Synagogue community, I’m
certainly not a devout and strongly observant Jew. In fact, I always
felt more Jewish by culture (lots of meals at Junior’s, Canters and
Zucky’s growing up) than by faith.
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More Than 14,000 Volunteers Removed 50 Tons of Trash on Coastal Cleanup Day.
On September 25, 2010 from 9am to noon, 14,131 volunteers picked up 115,742 pounds of trash at 65 cleanup sites in L.A County as part of Heal the Bay’s
21st annual Coastal Cleanup Day. Braving the heat on the unusually hot
day, participants from families, local businesses, city crews,
faith-based organizations, schools and youth sports team worked
together to gather and remove the ocean-bound trash from
local watersheds.
CCD 2010 Results
- 14,131 volunteers
- 115,742 lbs. of trash
- 65 cleanup sites
- 101 miles cleaned
More About CCD 2010
Learn About Pollution
- Urban Runoff
The largest source of pollution to Southern California’s coastal waters.- Plastic Trash
Comprises 60-80% of all marine debris.- Marine Debris Database
Tracks what is picked up at cleanups.
Cleanups Year-Round
- Nothin’ But Sand
Monthly cleanups open to all- Adopt-A-Beach
For groups and clubs- Corporate Healers
Sponsor a cleanup, support HtB
The 65 sites spanned the entire county from Tujunga to Long Beach, and Compton to Malibu. Cleanup locations included beaches, inland waterways, parks and neighborhoods. Coastal Cleanup Day even hit the water as SCUBA dive teams cleaned under the Santa Monica and Redondo Beach piers, while kayakers removed trash from Marina del Rey.
Coastal Cleanup Day 2010 was a record-breaking day of action that made an immediate impact on our oceans. But its lasting impact is teaching people what they can do in their daily lives throughout the year to combat neighborhood blight and beach pollution.
Heal the Bay offers a variety of cleanups throughout the year for anyone to get involved at anytime.
Photos of CCD 2010
Coast Cleanup Day Targets Urban Runoff
Urban runoff from more than 200 storm drains flowing out to Santa Monica and San Pedro bays causes most of our local ocean pollution. By removing trash from beaches and inland neighborhoods, cleanup volunteers protect marine animals, enhance quality of life, and bolster the regional economy.
“Code Red” locations that received special attention this year included Dominguez Channel, Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park, the Los Angeles River and Encino’s Haskell Creek. These urban sites drain runoff from huge areas of Los Angeles County and are overwhelmed by litter such as plastic trash and fast-food packaging.
Heal the Bay’s CCD events have collected a cumulative 1.57 million pounds of trash since 1990. Cigarette butts, plastic bottle caps and Styrofoam fragments are the most frequently found items at cleanups. Heal the Bay tracks what is collected at cleanups in our Marine Debris Database.
Unusual Items Found
Among the unusual items found this year:
- Three bowling balls cut in half, in Coyote Creek Trail (Cerritos)
- A vibrator discovered in Lake Machado (Ken Malloy Regional Park)
- Goatskin hide and mummified cat (Tujunga Wash)
- A submerged gas-burning stove (Redondo Pier dive site)
- Several crack pipes (Santa Monica, Venice and Malibu)
- Floating bag of marshmallows (Marina del Rey kayak site)
Special 3rd Party Events
Coastal Cleanup Day sponsor Subaru hosted special test drive and sweepstakes events throughout the county to benefit Heal the Bay and raise awareness about the cleanup. Among other unique CCD-related special events: Give Back to the Beach – a food truck festival in Marina del Rey, the LA Craft Beer Crawl curated by food critic Jonathan Gold in downtown L.A., as well as a sunrise yoga session in Santa Monica, and three electronic waste drop-off/recycling collection sites run by Coastal e-Waste.
Sponsors
This year’s sponsors include Union Bank of California, the Grousbeck Foundation, KTLA5, the city of Santa Monica, Neutrogena, ClifBar and Subaru.
About Coastal Cleanup Day
Heal the Bay organizes Coastal Cleanup Day in Los Angeles County in partnership with the California Coastal Commission. However, Coastal Cleanup Day is actually a global event led by the Ocean Conservancy for 6 million volunteers in 90 countries and all U.S. states. The day has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s biggest 24-hour volunteer event.
The Surfrider Foundation, Malibu Surfing Assn., Santa Monica
Baykeeper and Heal the Bay held a joint press event Thursday morning
focused on cleaning up chronically polluted, iconic Surfrider Beach.
More than 50 Surfrider locals joined the environmental and surfing
groups at the rally, bringing attention to the two decades of “F” Beach
Report Card grades at California’s most famous beach. Everyone echoed
the common-sense edict that a day at the beach should never make you
sick.
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