Bay Area beach ranked as bacteria 'hot spot'
What we know
Pacifica's Linda Mar Beach weighs in at number 6 for the Surfrider's 2024 Beach Bacteria Hot Spots list. The organization's Clean Water report came out this week ahead of the busy Memorial Day holiday.
The Surfrider Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the world's coasts and the protection of the oceans. They say as many as 100 million people flock to U.S. beaches each year.
In 2024, Surfrider Foundation's Blue Water Task Force processed more than 10,000 water samples from 604 distinct sampling sites. One of those sites was the relaunched site at their Sonoma Coast Chapter. The task force monitors sources of pollution, including stormwater outlets, rivers and creeks that discharge onto the beach.
The group said last year as many as 80% of the beaches from their sampling sites yielded high bacteria results that exceeded state health standards.
While they argue it is important to continue this type of monitoring, the organization notes that the Trump administration's projected budget cuts for fiscal year 2026 eliminate all funding for the Environmental Protection Agency's BEACH Act grant program that funds beach water quality monitoring along with the public notifications that accompany the results of sampling if levels are hazardous. The Surfrider Foundation has put out a call to tell Congress to reject these budget cuts.
The following is the Surfrider's top 10 list for 2024 Beach Bacteria Hot Spots. The list shows the location and the high bacteria rate.
Windmill Beach, Sag Harbor, New York - 43%
Ballard Park, Melbourne, Florida - 52%
Park View Kayak Launch, Miami Beach, Florida - 90%
Playa Crashboat, Aguadillia, Puerto Rico - 23%
South Sound Thea Foss Floating Dock, Tacoma, Washington - 64%
Linda Mar Beach, Pacifica, California - 71%
San Luis Creek Mouth, Avila Beach, California - 38%
Imperial Beach, San Diego, California - 82%
Kahalu'u, Kahalu'u, O'ahu, Hawai'i - 92%
Waikomo Stream at Koloa Landing, Poipu, Kaua'i, Hawai'i - 90%
According to Surfrider's Blue Water Task Force, the table above shows 10 priority beaches that are consistently measured for high bacteria levels. The percentages suggest the samples collected have bacteria levels that exceed the state health standard for recreational waters.
"These popular recreational braces pose real health risks to swimmers, surfers and families. Each location regularly shows dangerous levels of fecal-indicator bacteria tied to human illnesses, including gastrointestinal issues, flu-like symptoms, and serious skin conditions like MRSA and staph infections," the Clean Water Report states.
The organization's San Mateo County chapter is raising awareness about the hazardous conditions at Linda Mar Beach by joining a coalition of environmental and surfing groups to investigate the source of the pollution in the San Pedro Creek, which flows into the Pacific Ocean at this beach.
KTVU reported in 2023 that enterococcus, a bacterium commonly found in fecal matter, made up an overwhelming majority of samples taken from that year. The EPA doesn't typically consider enterococcus harmful, but it is a common cause for urinary tract infections, according to the National Institute of Health.
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