Venice Beaches Flunk Beach Honor Roll 2019

VENICE BEACH, CA —Two Los Angeles County beaches made the grade this year in the Heal the Bay's 29th annual Beach Report Card. Three others had the dubious honor of being named on the Beach Bummer list. Aided by the unusually wet winter, Los Angeles and Orange counties combined to earn five spots on a list of the state's 10 beaches with the worst water quality, according to a study released Wednesday by an environmental group.

Long Beach City Beach at Coronado Avenue was rated fourth worst as it made its first-ever appearance on the Beach Bummer List.

After a one-year absence, Mothers Beach in Marina del Rey returned to this year's list in seventh place, followed in eighth place by harborside Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro.
But the news wasn't all bad in the report, which assigns letter grades to beaches throughout California based on water quality.

Los Angeles County earned two spots on the Honor Roll -- down from eight last year.
The ocean side of Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro made the grade, as did Las Tunas County Beach at Pena Creek in Malibu.

San Clemente Pier in Orange County was one of two Orange County beaches earning the Beach Bummer title, in the same report.

According to the Heal The Bay, "The City of San Clemente is currently conducting a Microbial Source Tracking study, which will help identify the sources of bacteria in the ocean," the study says. "April 2019, the City of San Clemente formed their Ocean Water quality Subcommittee to address the poor water quality around the pier."

Monarch Beach at Salt Creek was Beach Bummer number six, according to the report. This beach is negatively impacted by "untreated dry weather runoff," the City of Dana Point has said.

Still, 10 of Orange Counties beaches listed on the group's Honor Roll, a distinction reserved for beaches that receive an A+ grade for all seasons and weather conditions. A total of 33 out of 500 beaches earned spots on the list.

Three San Clemente beaches made the Honor Roll, along with three in Dana point, two in Huntington Harbor and one each in Corona del Mar in Laguna Beach.

Long Beach City Beach at Coronado Avenue was rated fourth worst as it made its first-ever appearance on the Beach Bummer List. After a one-year absence, Mothers Beach in Marina del Rey returned to this year's list in seventh place, followed in eighth place by harborside Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro.

But the news wasn't all bad in the report, which assigns letter grades to beaches throughout California based on water quality.

Los Angeles County earned two spots on the Honor Roll -- down from eight last year. The ocean side of Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro made the grade, as did Las Tunas County Beach at Pena Creek in Malibu.

Three other Malibu beaches fell off the Honor Roll from last year, as did three in Palos Verdes.

Heal the Bay officials noted in the report that the massive Woolsey Fire contributed to a drop in water quality in Malibu. According to the group, wildfires increase runoff due to the loss of vegetation and infrastructure damage.

According to the report, 95 percent of Southern California beaches received A or B grades for water quality during the dry summer weather. But it emphasized the negative impact of wildfires and rainy weather during the winter across the state.

"California experienced a disproportionate amount of rain and wildfires over the last year, which came with below-average wet-weather grades in 13 our of 17 coastal counties and far below average grades at Malibu beaches where the Woolsey Fire burned," according to the report.

The report calls on the state to improve efforts to capture stormwater and treat it for reuse instead of allowing it to run into the ocean.

Read the full report at healthebay.org