May 26--First, the good news: For the second year running, water quality at Southern California beaches has shown marked improvement.
The bad news? The cleaner summertime surf is a side effect of the state's ongoing drought, according to a report released Thursday.
In 2015, 97% of Southern California beaches received an A or B grade for water quality during the busy summer months, according to the annual Beach Report Card released by Heal the Bay, an environmental group.
That's up three percentage points from last year's report.
In California as a whole, 95% of state beaches earned an A or B during the summer -- the same as 2015.
Heal the Bay uses bacteria counts at more than 450 beaches to formulate letter grades from A to F. High bacteria counts can be linked to such potential illnesses as stomach flu, ear infections and major skin rashes.
The main reason for the increased water quality is a lack of rain runoff -- a consequence of the state's drought. In a normal year, rain washes more pollution into the sea.
"This was the fifth year in a row of below-average rainfall in Southern California, and as a result, its beaches experienced less urban runoff, which likely led to the improvement of overall grades," the report said.
Water conservation efforts also have contributed to less runoff, said Leslie Griffin, a scientist with Heal the Bay.
Many municipalities have barred residents from washing their cars or using their sprinklers more than twice a week.
Recently, however, California regulators approved new water conservation rules that will loosen the strict rationing Gov. Jerry Brown imposed a year ago.
"We don't want people to go back to their bad behavior because rainfall comes back," Griffin said. "This is something we should be doing going forward."
The most polluted shoreline on Heal the Bay's "Beach Bummers" list is Cowell Beach in Santa Cruz County, which has won that dismal distinction for three years in a row.
Monarch Beach in Dana Point ranked fourth on the list of the top 10 worst polluted beaches, with Santa Monica Pier, Mother's Beach in Marina del Rey and Redondo Municipal Pier coming in fifth, six and seventh, respectively, according to the report.
For the first time in 14 years, the harbor side of Cabrillo Beach, an enclosed beach with poor circulation, did not make the "Bummer" list. Over the past several years, Port of Los Angeles officials have added wiring and poles to keep seagulls and other birds away from that beach.
"It is only one year, but hopefully a trend that holds up," the report stated.
Many of the polluted sites have piers, which attract both humans and birds -- key contributors of bacteria, Griffin said.
"Don't go swimming by the pier as a general rule," she said.
