Imperial Beach, near Tijuana River, was among Heal The Bay’s list of top ten most polluted beaches this year. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Heal the Bay released its 34th annual Beach Report Card today. The yearly report issues A-F grades for over 700 beaches along the Pacific Coast, based on levels of bacterial pollution from 2023 to 2024 (the lower the grade, the greater the chance of ocean-goers getting sick). Also included in the report was the organization’s “beach bummer” list, a catalogue of the ten most polluted beaches on the West Coast.
Many beaches were not new to the list, having struggled with water quality issues in the past. In Los Angeles County, Santa Monica Pier has appeared numerous times due to being “plagued with droppings from roosting birds and urban runoff.” Another repeat offender was the Tijuana Slough, along with several other San Diego County beaches that suffer from persistent sewage issues originating from inadequate sanitation infrastructure in Tijuana. Up north in San Mateo County, Linda Mar Beach has been impacted by pollution primarily through San Pedro Creek, which carries urban runoff directly into the ocean.
Heal The Bay’s Annual Beach Bummer List
1. Tijuana River Mouth (San Diego County)
2. Playa Blanca (Baja, Mexico)
3. Santa Monica Pier (Los Angeles County)
4. Tijuana Slough (San Diego County)
5. Linda Mar Beach (San Mateo County)
6. Lakeshore Park (San Mateo County)
7. Imperial Beach at Seacoast Drive (San Diego County)
8. Border Field State Park (San Diego County)
9. Marina del Rey Mother’s Beach (Los Angeles County)
10. El Faro (Baja, Mexico)
More troublingly, this was also part of an overall decline in water quality from the past year, particularly in the winter months. One culprit was the exceptionally rainy year the state has had, with 31% more rainfall in the winter reporting period over the ten year average. That additional rainfall flushed bacteria and other pollutants through storm drains and into the ocean and led to several sewage spills. As a result, while 90% of California beaches received A or B quality grades during the summer (only a 6% drop from the previous year), a mere 66% of beaches monitored in the winter season received A or B grades.
Heal The Bay explained that these issues are likely to get worse in the future if we don’t address both climate change and crumbling infrastructure.
“More frequent and more severe storms will only exacerbate the urban runoff that pollutes our sea,” wrote the organization in a press release. “It’s critical that the state and municipalities invest in more stormwater capture projects that will cleanse, hold and reuse water rather than sending polluted runoff to the sea. It’s a double-win for our drought-challenged state.
“Separately, the state is seeing an uptick in sewage spills thanks to overtaxed sanitation systems during storms and to outdated sewer systems that are breaking down because of age or inadequate upkeep. Heal the Bay supports reasonable ratepayer increases to help sanitation agencies keep up with inflation and our new climate reality.”
