Much-needed winter storms may have relieved California’s historic drought, but all that rain came at some cost – poor beach water quality. Bacterial pollution at some of California’s most popular beaches spiked dramatically in 2016–17, according to Heal the Bay’s 27th annual Beach Report Card, which the nonprofit released today.
Heal the Bay analysts assigned A-to-F letter grades to 416 beaches along the California coast for three reporting periods in 2016–2017, based on levels of weekly bacterial pollution. Some 96% of beaches received A or B grades during the high-traffic summer season (April–October 2015), slightly above the statewide five-year average. Wet weather was a different story, however. Record rainfall created billions of gallons of polluted runoff, which poured into storm drains and out to the ocean. Nearly 48% of California’s beaches received C to F grades, about 12% more than the statewide five-year average. Polluted ocean waters pose a significant health risk to the tens of thousands of year-round ocean users in California. Those failing grades indicate a significant health risk to the tens of thousands of year-round ocean users in Southern California, who can contract a respiratory or gastrointestinal illness from […]
Full article: The Annual Beach Report Card 2017 Release
Coral reefs already face a litany of threats. Experts say storm runoff from the recent…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Xqa0B9r7Y8 Iowa water: Pulitzer Prize winner Art Cullen and award-winning cinematographer Jerry Risius have teamed…
Clean water is essential for life, yet millions of Americans unknowingly consume contaminants through their…
Human brains contain higher concentrations of microplastics than other organs, according to a new study, and the…
From the Office of the Governor: In anticipation of a multi-day, significant atmospheric river in Northern California,…
From Governor Newsom: Scientists, water managers, state leaders, and experts throughout the state are calling…