Heal the Bay grades beaches

By Sharon Nagy, On-Line Forty-Niner

Thursday, September 10, 1998

Students are not the only ones who receive grades. Once a month Heal the Bay, a non-profit environmental organization, analyzes water samples to determine pollution factors. Some pass with flying colors, others fail every time, choking with motor oil, animal waste, pesticides, yard waste or trash.

Beaches do have report cards compliments of Heal the Bay dedicated to improving the quality of Los Angeles County's coastal waters.

The organization analyzes water samples from 61 Los Angeles beaches, allotting grades based on bacterial count. The lower the grade, the higher the risk of illness.

The report, which does not measure the amount of trash or toxins found in the water, does measure amounts of bacteria, including enterococcus, total and fecal coliforms - all of which indicate pollution.

For the August report Cabrillo Beach - harborside at the lifeguard tower - in San Pedro recieved an F grade as did Mother's Beach in Marina Del Rey.

In Redondo Beach at the Municipal Pier, the water received a C grade. On the Palos Verdes Peninsula, Royal Palms State Beach, Abalone Cove Shoreline Park and Malaga Cove all received an A.

Heal the Bay advises to stay 100 yards from flowing storm drains when surfing or swimming and to avoid the water for three days after a rainstorm. Bacteria count found in the Santa Monica Bay after a rainstorm generally exceeds health criteria in Los Angeles County's beach closure and health warning protocol.

The organization's 14th annual California Coastal Cleanup Day is organized to gather trash along the coast in Los Angeles County for this month. Last year's participants gathered more than 22,000 pounds of trash from the Los Angeles coast.

In order to restore the Point Dume Natural Preserve in Malibu, volunteers will pull out invasive non-native plants that are choking native species and plant-native seedlings. The California State Parks collaborate with Heal the Bay to facilitate the project.