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Del
Norte County
Del Norte County began monitoring three locations
in spring 2003. These locations are Pebble Beach, Crescent
City Harbor, and Crescent Beach. Heal the Bay was unable
to obtain the data for this analysis.
Humboldt
County  Grades
Beach water quality in Humboldt County was excellent,
with all 4 water quality monitoring locations receiving
As. There were no known sewage spills that led to beach
closures this summer.
Mendocino County
Mendocino County, like Del Norte and Humboldt County,
began their monitoring program in spring 2003.
The eight monitoring locations are MacKerricher
Beach State Park at Mill Creek, MacKerricher Beach
State Park at Virgin Creek, Caspar Beach at Caspar
Creek, Russian Gulch Campground, Big River near
Pacific Coast Highway bridge, Navarro River at
Navarro Beach Road, Van Damme State Park at the
Little River, and Greenwood Creek Project at Greenwood
Creek. Heal the Bay was unable to obtain the data
for this analysis.
Sonoma
County Grades
Beach water quality in Sonoma County was good except
for one location. Once again, Campbell Cove State Park
beach in Bodega Bay received the county’s only F grade.
There were no known sewage spills that led to beach
closures.
Marin
County
There are 37 bayside (Tomales, San Francisco,
and San Pablo Bay) and oceanside monitoring locations
covered by Marin County’s water quality monitoring
program. Oceanside monitoring locations include
Dillon Beach, McClures Beach, Kehoe Beach, Drakes
Beach, Limantour Beach, Bolinas Beach (Wharf Road),
Stinson Beach, Muir Beach, Cronkhite Beach, Rodeo
Beach, and Baker Beach. Heal the Bay was unable
to obtain the data for this analysis.
San
Francisco County Grades
San Francisco County joins our California Summer Beach
Report card for the first time this year. Overall beach
water quality was fair. Of the 11 oceanside monitoring
locations that were sampled regularly over the summer,
8 locations (72.7%) received very good-to-excellent
water quality marks (7 As and 1 B). Baker Beach at
Lobos Creek received the County’s only failing grade.
The County’s raw data was made available to the public
on the website http://sfwater.org/
San Mateo County Grades
This summer, San Mateo’s overall water quality was
very good. Of the 19 monitored locations, 17 (89.5%)
received As. Pillar Point Harbor at the end of Westpoint
Ave. received the County’s only F grade. Pillar Point
Harbor at Capistrano Avenue(C) was the only other San
Mateo location to not receive an A grade. There were
no known sewage spills that led to beach closures.
Santa Cruz County Grades
Of the 13 weekly sample locations, 10 (76.9%) received
very good-to-excellent grades. Santa Cruz Main
Beach at the Boardwalk received the County’s single
worst grade of D. There were no known sewage spills
that led to beach closures.
Monterey
County Grades
Beach water quality in Monterey County was fair. Of
the eight water quality monitoring locations, six (75%)
received As or Bs. Stillwater Cove Beach (F) was the
only monitoring location to receive a failing grade.
Del Monte Beach projection of Camino El Estero received
a grade of C. There were no known sewage spills that
led to beach closures.
San Luis Obispo County Grades
Water quality at beaches in San Luis Obispo County
was again generally very good. Of the 18 water
quality monitoring locations, 15 (83.3%) received
A or B grades. Olde Port Beach (Harford Beach north)
received the County’s single worst grade of D.
There were no known sewage spills that led to beach
closures.
Santa Barbara County Grades
Water quality at beaches in Santa Barbara County was
excellent this year. Of the 20 water quality monitoring
locations, 19 (95%) received A or B grades. There
were no Santa Barbara beaches that received poor-to-failing
grades this summer, with Arroyo Burro Beach receiving
the county’s only C grade. There were no known
sewage spills that led to beach closures.
Ventura County Grades
Overall water quality at beaches throughout Ventura
County was once again excellent. Of the 56 water
quality monitoring locations, 52 (93%) received
A grades. Both Hobie Beach (A) and Kiddie Beach
at the end of Victoria Avenue (B) showed improved
water quality from last summer. Rincon Beach 25
yds south of the creek (C) and Kiddie Beach at
the end of the rocks (D) were the only problem
beaches this past summer. There were no known sewage
spills that led to beach closures.
Los Angeles County Grades
Overall water quality at beaches in Los Angeles County
was very good, with 67 of the 82 (81.7%) water
quality monitoring locations receiving A or B grades.
This was a slight improvement from last year. Will
Rogers State Beach at Temescal Canyon (A) and Santa
Monica Canyon at Will Rogers State Beach (A) maintained
last year’s improvement and continue to show the
effects of successful diversion. Overall, Avalon
Beaches showed improvement from last summer with
3 of the 5 beaches receiving very good-to-excellent
grades. Unfortunately, two of the Avalon beaches
with the poorest water quality last summer showed
no improvement. Also, after an anomalous summer
last year, Topanga Beach’s water quality returned
to a solid A.
15
locations (18.3%) received fair-to-poor water quality
marks (five Cs, seven Ds and three Fs). There were
two more beaches with a D or F grade than last year.
Surfrider Beach in Malibu had improved but still
poor water quality (C at the breach, D at both Malibu
Point and Malibu Pier). Santa Monica Beach at Montana
dropped from a B in 2003 to an F this summer after
terrible water quality though the entire month of
June. Some of the locations with the poorest water
quality were Cabrillo Beach harborside at the lifeguard
tower (F), Santa Monica Beach at Montana Avenue (F),
and Avalon Beach 1/3 distance between the Pier and
Busy Bee Restaurant (F).
There
were five reported sewage spills that discharged
a total of 21,625 gallons to local waterbodies. One
spill reported as approximately 200 gallons led to
beach closures at Dockweiler Beach for 4 days in
late August. Orange County Grades
Overall water quality at beaches in Orange County
this past summer was very good—about the same as
last summer. Of the 104 water quality monitoring
locations covered by the Beach Report Card, 90
(86.5%) received A or B grades. Doheny Beach north
of San Juan Creek (A), San Juan Creek at ocean
interface (C) and Doheny Beach south of the creek
(B) showed marked improvement from last year.
14
locations (13.5%) received fair-to-poor water
quality marks (six Cs, four Ds and four Fs).
Three of the four Orange County monitoring locations
that received failing grades were located in
enclosed harbors: Dana Point Harbor swim area
(F), Dana Point Harbor east end (F) and Newport
Bay 38th Street Beach (F). The other F grade
was at the perpetually problematic Poche Beach.
There
were 13 sewage spills that led to beach closures
throughout the summer, discharging approximately
16,437 gallons.
San Diego County Grades
Water quality at beaches in San Diego County was excellent
again this summer. This summer also marks the best
overall water quality in San Diego since AB411
requirements began in 1999. Of the 94 water quality
monitoring locations sampled, 88 (93.6%) received
A or B grades. There were 6 locations (6.4%) that
received fair-to-poor water quality marks (four
Cs, and two Fs). The two locations with the poorest
water quality this summer were Mission Bay Visitor’s
Center at Clairemont Drive (F) and Pacific Beach
at Pacific Beach Point downcoast of Linda Way (F).
There was one known major sewage spill that led
to beach closures this summer, discharging approximately
17,000 gallons.
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