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The
County of San Mateo, Environmental Health Department
monitors approximately 20 locations on a weekly basis,
from as far upcoast as Sharp Park Beach in Pacifica
to a downcoast location of Gazo's Beach at Gazo's Creek.
The Health Department utilizes volunteers from the local
Surfrider Foundation chapter to assist in the collection
of water samples. Samples are collected at a distance
of 25 yards north or south of the mouth of a storm drain
or creek.
Although
the county has a shoreline water quality monitoring
program, it has not been able to establish an easily
accessible and usable database for public requests.
As a result, for the second consecutive year, very little
data has been made available to Heal the Bay for our
Annual Report Card analysis. Heal the Bay hopes to begin
publishing a weekly beach report card for San Mateo
by July.
Clean
Beach Initiative Summary
Despite having very little monitoring data for review,
the County of San Mateo and the City of Pacifica have
received grants totaling $750,000 from the CBI to reduce
water quality problems at Pilarcitos Creek, Gazo's
Creek,
and at Pacifica State Beach. The county will begin
work on a pilot project for the Gazo's Creek watershed
to
identify potential sources of bacterial contamination,
map known sources, implement appropriate best management
practices, and take enforcement action on illegal dischargers.
The City of Pacifica plans to implement a dry weather
diversion project for San Pedro Creek, rerouting runoff
flows from developments away from San Pedro Creek to
an artificial treatment wetland.
Sewage
Spill Summary
The county did not provide Heal the Bay with a summary
of beach closures due to sewage spills.
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