Cowell Beach Left Off Of CA's Most Polluted Beaches List

SANTA CRUZ, CA — Cowell Beach has been left off of a list of the most polluted beaches in California for the first time in 10 years.

Heal the Bay, an environmental nonprofit that has compiled California beach report cards for 30 years, determined that birds near the Municipal Wharf contributed to poor water quality, the City of Santa Cruz said in a news release. Capitola Beach — also a longtime "Beach Bummer" site — did not make the list this year.

Heal the Bay took note of the local #CleanCowells effort to install netting below the pier to deter birds, repair sewer lines and divert polluted lagoon water away from the ocean. The Santa Cruz City Council ordered a Cowell's Working Group to convene in 2014 to improve water quality.

Bacteria concentrations were the highest near the wharf where birds roosted and became lower at farther distances, the city said.

This year, Heal the Bay wrote in its report that Cowell Beach had "seen a significant decrease in [report card] grades over time."

“This is the good news that all of us in Santa Cruz have been waiting for,” Mayor Justin Cummings said in the city's news release.

More than 90 percent of Santa Cruz County beaches received A or B grades during dry summer days, and 86 percent of beaches received A grades during dry winter grades.

Neighboring Monterey County saw 100 percent of its beaches make A or B grades during dry summer and winter grades. San Mateo County ranked dead last in the state when it came to grades for dry summer days (44 percent A/B grades) and dry winter days (46 percent A/B grades).

The top 10 most polluted beaches were located in San Mateo, Orange, Los Angeles and San Diego counties, according to the 2020 Heal the Bay rankings.

Read the full report here.