Surfrider Releases 2024 'Clean' Water Report and It's…A Doozy
The list of this summer's Surfrider Clean Water Report of 'Beach Bacteria Hot Spots,' as they're called, probably come as a surprise to few, but then the number of days during which what public safety offices deem unsafe levels of certain bacteria (e.g., enterococcus bacteria, eDNA samples to determine presence of E. coli, human, cow, dog, poultry, sheep, and swine eDNA) might be enough for you to change your surf-going plans for this summer altogether.
Topping the list. Hawaii offers not one but two swimming holes that mark the lowest water quality found within the greater U.S. of A. Kahalu'u, on Oahu, saw a 92% high-bacteria rate this past year, which, if data means anything to you, suggests that setting so much as a stubbed toe in that waterway is to invite vicious wrath that knows no bounds—you would be far from the first sorry soul to slowly and agonizingly make your grave by taking your chances there.
Also high on the list, with more than half of sample analyses finding unsafe bathing conditions are: Park View Kayak Launch in Miami, Florida, (90%); Imperial Beach, San Diego (82%); Linda Mar Beach in Pacifica, California (71%); South Sound Thea Foss Floating Dock (64%); and Ballard Park in Melbourne, Florida.
But Surfrider isn't just highlighting the doom and gloom of all these grim findings, they're addressing upstream sources of pollution that are often a leading cause of supercharged bacterial blooms: gardens. The Ocean Friendly Gardens' (OFG) initiative works to educate the public on better, safer, and cleaner gardening solutions that prevent excessive runoff of fertilizers containing nitrates and phosphates, the super-catalyzers for bacteria growth.While Surfrider's Blue Water Task Force's (BWTF) report analyzes over 10,000 water samples from hundreds of beaches, increasing their number of tests thanks to new labs in Isabela, Puerto Rico, Waianae High School on Oahu, Coos Bay in Oregon, and a relaunch of California's Sonoma County Chapter.
'Last year, 80% of beaches and sampling sites tested (483 of 604) yielded at least one high bacteria result that exceeded state health standards,' a Surfrider press release reads. That is a decidedly depressing number that, again, might make you think twice about paddling out at your local peak this summer.
Lest we get too dour on all this, though, know that Surfrider and its supporters are being proactive in more ways than the aforementioned: 'Through grassroots campaigns and programs, Surfrider is working hard to ensure that the beaches and ocean are clean and safe for all people to enjoy for generations to come. Learn more about how Surfrider's national network of coastal advocates is fighting at the local, state, and federal levels to protect clean water in the 2024 Clean Water Annual Report.'Surfrider Releases 2024 'Clean' Water Report and It's…A Doozy first appeared on Surfer on May 28, 2025
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