L.A. County Beaches Report Card: Interactive Map

Cece Stein November 3, 2012 at 01:31 pm

Looks like water quality has been deteriorating at more Malibu testing sites. With no wet season precipitation as of yet, what could the explanation be? The consistent failing grade east of the pier is still concerning. Very little fisherman on the pier now, little to no kelp wracks washing up on the beach and only a few pigeons walking around the pier railing. Something stinks here!

Rebecca A. Anderson November 3, 2012 at 11:26 pm

All I know is that my doctor and even some of my friends insist I stay out of the water here in the Malibu/Santa Monica/Venice/Marina Del Rey, further down South past Orange County, into Northern Mexico due to the local pollutions, plus,never ever eat the seafood. Where I am from up on the Southern Oregon Coast, Coos Bay-North Bend area, they regularly dump raw sewage into the local rivers because their sewage systems are ancient, are no longer up for current usage & the locals didn't
want to use their money on any upgrades. Plus, they don't make it known until a couple of days after they have done their dirty deed. Coquille River that empties into the Pacific Ocean at Bandon, Oregon is probably the most polluted with raw usage,

Chelisa November 4, 2012 at 02:54 pm

I think that the rebuilding of the Malibu lagoon is the cause of such a bad grade for the beach at Malibu. The construction is turning up duck feces and dumping it into the ocean.

Cece Stein November 4, 2012 at 11:03 pm

Chelisa... just alittle update. The failing beach grades east of the pier were happening before the start of the restoration project. Oh, and the berm is still closed between the project area and the ocean so how would duck feces in the lagoon affect the testing site east of the pier?

Wendi Werner November 4, 2012 at 11:41 pm

The USGS and NOAA studys show that the water quality is affected by natural sources. Read the studies. The water testing that is currently used by the environmental advocates are outdated and flawed. The new, best available science using the most up to date methodologies are being ignored by many of the environmental advocates. 63 cities up and down the coast are asking for natural bacteria to be acknowledged at the next Regional water quality control board hearing. Let's hope the RWQCB acknowledges it this time. We all want clean water and a clean ocean, but these old methods are not using the new DNA technologies avail. to show us what type of bacteria is in the test results. They should and they know it. To scare the public into hitting the donate button, while not acknowledging the real sources of bacteria is shameful and a waste of our tax paying money.

Lisa November 5, 2012 at 03:14 pm

I live at Will Rogers State Beach at Santa Monica Canyon drain (Chautauqua). I am surprised that this beach was given an "A" rating as there is a sign on the beach that says "NO SWIMMING!" hmmmmm how accurate are these ratings?

M Stanley November 5, 2012 at 03:41 pm

These report cards are most definitely flawed and inappropriate to continually march out as some use for advising the general public w/regards to health and safety issues. I'll simply start with one glaring problem which has been pointed out previously but still seems to be of no concern to the organization preparing and sharing this report as they refuse to correct or update the report with current data - Malibu's northern beaches (Nicholas, Broad Bch, Zuma/Trancas, Westward) all have a report date of July 26th for the "current report" that is supposed to have purple markers placed at locations where reports have NOT been taken for the current publication of said report. I feel that the Patch should discontinue promoting this "report card" because it seems that the class hasn't been in session all summer long - when this should be diligently adhered to in order to ensure that their funding sources continue to view their philanthropy worthwhile and beneficial! Kick this thing out of here if Patch editors refuse to consider reviewing it for correctness and editorial integrity!

Jim November 5, 2012 at 05:26 pm

The beach at Sapphire St. in Redondo Beach has been getting crummy grades ever since the dredging and new sand. I hope it settles down and gets back to the consistent Dry "A".

Phil M November 5, 2012 at 06:12 pm

How bad does the water quality have to go for us to stop dumping into our oceans? We are doing this to ourselves.
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John November 5, 2012 at 07:43 pm

Wendi, could you explain(or differentiate) the natural bacteria you've mentioned. Also, how expensive is testing using the latest technologies, especially compared to the cost of the current tests.

Wendi Werner November 5, 2012 at 10:33 pm

Rules set up in 2002 to limit bacteria levels in the Santa Monica bay have a fatal flaw. They do not acknowledge natural bacteria as a contributor.
The clean water act specifically states that the regional board must protect nature, but the rules set up act myopic. The best available scientists with state of the art monitoring tools are confirming that there are many environmental influences: Lagoons increase bacteria Kelp & eel grass increase bacteria & nutrients Bugs which thrive in kelp increase bacteria in the sand Birds increase bacteria along the shore and in lagoons Ecosystems have bacteria and should never be called pollution Nature is not pollution In order to follow the clean water act realistically, protocols for health warnings need to be changed. We all want clean water and a healthy ocean, but these environmental advocates who suggest that beaches need to be groomed to clean up kelp are not following the clean water act. These advocacy groups are asking for public donations, while setting standards that are unachievable for cities, absorbing money that could be spent responsibly elsewhere. You will have to ask the environmental advocates how much it will cost them to adopt what other scientists are already using. I'm sure it is cheaper than grooming the beaches of the kelp that is part of an ecosystems that is indeed suppose to be there and that should never be considered pollution.

Wendi Werner November 5, 2012 at 10:34 pm

@ Phil M. Sorry sir, but I think you are missing the point with how these test results are being done. Dumping into the ocean is bad and should be stopped, I agree. For example, when the City of Malibu was being sued for 100,000,000 dollars in the 90s and at the same time hundreds of thousands of gallons of raw sewage was flowing into the Santa Monica Bay, nothing was said from the environmental agencies. That is a flaw. Also, when natural bacteria is NOT being acknowledged and cities are being sued up and down the coast for bacteria exceedences, that is a flaw. The water quality needs to be tested with the most up to date, best avail. science methodologies. It is not being done this way and that needs to change.

Wendi Werner November 5, 2012 at 10:42 pm

This may help explain what other Cities are saying, as well.
"Pollution Standards Could Drain City Coffers" http://www.smdp.com/proposed-pollution-standards-could-drain-city-coffers