2020-2021 Report Card
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Beach2020-2021 Report Card 1 HEAL THE BAY // 2020–2021 Beach2020-2021 Report Card We would like to acknowledge that Heal the Bay is located on the traditional lands of the Tongva People and pay our respect to elders both past and present. Heal the Bay is an environmental non-profit dedicated to making the coastal waters and watersheds of Greater Los Angeles safe, healthy and clean. To fulfill our mission, we use science, education, community action and advocacy. The Beach Report Card program is funded by grants from: ©2021 Heal the Bay. All Rights Reserved. The fishbones logo is a trademark of Heal the Bay. The Beach Report Card is a service mark of Heal the Bay. We at Heal the Bay believe the public has the right to know the water quality at their beaches. We are proud to provide West Coast residents and visitors with this information in an easy-to-understand format. We hope beachgoers will use this information to make the decisions necessary to protect their health. HEAL THE BAY CONTENTS2020-2021 • SECTION I: WELCOME EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..................................................................... 5 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................7 • SECTION II: WEST COAST SUMMARY CALIFORNIA OVERVIEW ..................................................................10 HONOR ROLL ......................................................................................14 BEACH BUMMERS ..............................................................................16 IMPACT OF BEACH TYPE.................................................................19 CALIFORNIA COUNTY SUMMARIES ...........................................22 OREGON COUNTY SUMMARIES .................................................33 WASHINGTON COUNTY SUMMARIES .......................................36 TIJUANA, MEXICO SUMMARY .......................................................41 • SECTION III: BEACH NEWS AB 1066 .................................................................................................43 CLIMATE EMERGENCY ....................................................................43 FUNDING SHORELINE MONITORING PROGRAMS ...............43 NOWCAST UPDATE ..........................................................................44 • SECTION IV: APPENDICES A // BEACH BUMMER HISTORY ....................................................46 B // ALL GRADES BY COUNTY .....................................................48 C // FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS .....................................64 D // METHODOLOGY .......................................................................66 E // AKNOWLEDGEMENTS & CREDITS ......................................68 3 HEAL THE BAY // 2020–2021 WELCOME 4 HEAL THE BAY // 2020–2021 Gray Whale Cove, San Mateo County photo: Ryan Searcy I WELCOME EXECUTIVE SUMMARY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY North Salmon Beach / Sonoma County California beaches had excellent water quality during the summer months of 2020. Out of over 500 beaches across the state, 93% earned good marks (A’s & B’s) in the summer. Rainfall this past year was drastically below average, which usually leads to better water quality because reduced amounts of pollutants flow into the ocean. However, wet weather grades were worse than average this year, likely due to the fact that most wet weather data was collected during the first major rain events, which carry more pollution. ● The Tijuana River Mouth ● San Mateo County continues 2019 Beach Bummers were not and the beach less than a mile to struggle with water quality monitored at all in 2020. This north both landed on our Beach as three beaches in the Foster is alarming as this stretch of Bummer list. These San Diego City area landed on the Beach coastline has experienced high County beaches are impacted Bummer list: Erckenbrack Park, levels of fecal pollution and is by sewage flowing from the Gull Park, and Marlin Park. very popular with beachgoers Tijuana River and Punta Bandera Erckenbrack Park appeared who are now without any Treatment Plant. The sewage on the Bummer list last year information on potential originates from impaired and along with five other San Mateo contamination. insufficient sewage infrastructure County beaches. Four of those in the City of Tijuana. 5 HEAL THE BAY // 2020–2021 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY I WELCOME EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ● Capitola Beach in Santa ● East Beach in Santa F’s for Wet Weather. This stretch Cruz County is the number Barbara is making its first of coastline sees millions of beach three Beach Bummer this splash onto the Beach Bummer visitors annually, and is heavily year. Soquel Creek flows into list. Bacteria pollution from the impacted by sewage pollution year- the ocean near this beach, Santa Barbara area flows into round, even during dry weather. The discharging bacteria pollution the ocean at East Beach through main source is the Punta Bandera from throughout the watershed. Mission Creek. treatment plant located south of This beach has been a Beach Tijuana, which regularly releases Bummer periodically since the Oregon beaches were not untreated or partially treated Beach Report Card began. monitored frequently enough to sewage into the ocean. receive a Summer Dry Grade, ● Los Angeles County’s sole and no beaches were monitored The Beach Report Card focuses Beach Bummer is Marina Del during the winter months. Only on water quality at ocean beaches. Rey Mother’s Beach, which is four Oregon counties received However, monitoring water quality at no stranger to the list of most Wet Weather grades, which were freshwater sites, like rivers, lakes, and polluted beaches in the state. lackluster and far below the state’s streams, and making that information This beach is enclosed and Wet Weather average of 82% available to the public is also experiences little wave action so receiving A and B grades. important to protect public health at bacteria pollution does not get freshwater recreation sites. Heal the flushed away from the shore. Washington Summer Dry Grades Bay created the River Report Card to were superb with 96% of the inform the public about water quality ● Clam Beach in Humboldt beaches receiving A and B in our rivers and streams. Heal the County has now received grades. Wet Weather Grades were Bay collects samples and analyzes Beach Bummer status in seven exceptional and above average water quality at six recreation sites of the last 11 years. Water quality with 91% receiving A and B grades. in L.A. County; compiles monitoring at this Northern California No Washington beaches were data from an additional 22 L.A. beach is negatively impacted by monitored during the winter County locations; and transforms agricultural runoff that flows into months so we could not calculate the data into easily understood, the ocean via Patrick Creek and Winter Dry Grades. color-coded grades. Before heading Strawberry Creek. to a freshwater recreation area in Summer 2020 was the first year Los Angeles County, check out our ● San Francisco’s Candlestick beaches in Tijuana, Mexico were River Report Card at healthebay.org/ Point at Windsurfer Circle is included in the Beach Report riverreportcard, which is updated making a return to the list after Card. El Faro and El Vigia beaches regularly during the summer months. a seven year hiatus. Candlestick both received a B for Summer Heal the Bay is also sponsoring Point is located in San Francisco Dry Grades, while Playas Blanca Assembly Bill 1066 (Bloom) in Bay, and while it is not an received a D. Winter Dry Grades California, which is the first step enclosed area, it likely does showed a similar pattern where El in ensuring freshwater recreation not experience as much water Faro and El Vigia both received sites in the State are monitored for circulation as an open ocean D’s, and Playas Blanca received fecal pollution and that the public is beach. an F. All three beaches received notified. 6 HEAL THE BAY // 2020–2021 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY I WELCOME INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION The beach is where we go for relaxation and recreation, where friends gather to have fun, and where families bond. The vital role the beach plays in our lives became clearer than ever during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. L.A. County and other places along our coast recorded millions more beachgoers in summer 2020 than in previous years. With the stress and uncertainty the Punta Bandera treatment plant beaches and ocean ecosystems of the pandemic, and restrictions discharges untreated or partially are still threatened by sea level on traveling, it is no surprise that treated water into the ocean on rise, ocean acidification, and other people sought out their local a regular basis. We hope that the pollution sources. This is alarming beaches. Beaches are part of Beach Report Card helps keep as we expect people to increasingly California’s open space and serve Tijuana beachgoers safe from seek out ocean beaches and some of our densest urban centers these highly hazardous discharges, freshwater swimming holes to as well as our remote retreats. It is but more needs to be done. We cool off as local temperatures rise. critical that we keep our ocean and will continue to bring attention to Heal the Bay will continue to fight beaches clean and accessible to all. this issue and advocate for water for the health of people and our quality improvements in Tijuana. ecosystems by doing our part to We are excited to mark one year of combat climate change. providing water quality grades for Summer 2020 was also a grave Tijuana beaches and their