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The
County of Ventura, Environmental Health Division,
monitored approximately 56 locations on a weekly basis
throughout the year, from as far upcoast as Rincon Beach
south of the creek (near the Santa Barbara County line)
to a downcoast location at Staircase Beach, located at the
north end of Leo Carrillo State Beach. Most samples collected
in Ventura County are between 25 to 50 yards
north or south of the mouth of a storm drain or creek. For additional water quality
information visit the Ventura
County Environmental Health Division website.
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| Hobie
Beach, Channel Islands Harbor. Photo: Heal the
Bay |
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| Staircase
Beach. Photo: Heal the Bay |
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For
the fourth year in a row, overall dry weather water
quality at Ventura County beaches was excellent. Of the 56
water quality monitoring locations, 52 (93%) locations
received good-to-excellent water quality marks (see Table
19 and Table 20). The only Ventura monitored beach outside
of Channel Islands Harbor to not receive an excellent
dry weather grade was McGrath State Beach (1/2 mile north of Gonzales Rd.). This
beach scored a B during the AB411 months. Channel
Islands harbor beaches in Ventura
clearly demonstrate the water quality problems seen overall
at enclosed beaches. Kiddie Beach's water quality was by far the worst in the
county. There were two dry weather Fs and two Ds at the 4 monitoring locations.
Ventura
County had fair water quality during wet weather.
The 93% good-to-excellent grades for dry weather
dropped to 61% for wet weather.
Please
see Tables 21 and
22 for a brief comparison of the
four-year average and this year's dry and wet weather water quality grades for
Ventura County beaches. Dry weather water quality this year has remained consistently
excellent. Ventura also received substantially less rain this past year, which
is most likely reflected in this year's improved wet
weather water quality percentages.
Clean
Beach Initiative Summary
The County of Ventura is wrapping up their Clean Beach
Initiative (CBI) grant, having completed an uncalibrated,
unvalidated hydrodynamics study (measuring current direction
and flow) in the Channel Islands Harbor area, and a
DNA analysis of source organisms potentially causing poor water quality. The
DNA study concluded that the contributors of source
organisms were from avian (bird) populations,
humans, and mammals. To date, the County has implemented
a few source abatement measures, such as increased bird diversion
devices, low-flow diversion of the nearby storm drain,
and identification and correction of illicit discharges.
However, the County has been unable to implement any
measures to increase water circulation at this beach, which
was the other major component of their CBI project.
Sewage
Spill Summary
Like last year, Ventura County had zero sewage spills
that
led to beach closures over the past year.
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