California Business Minute™

Hi, I am Tim Johnson and welcome to the California Business Minute.

Heal the Bay’s 19th Annual Beach Report Card which provides water quality information
to the millions of people who swim, surf, or dive in California coastal waters. The
Report Card is essential reading for ocean users. The Report Card grades 324 locations
year-round on an A-to-F scale based on the risk of adverse health effects to beachgoers.

The grades are based on daily and weekly fecal bacteria pollution levels in the surf
zone. The program has evolved from an annual review of beaches in Santa Monica Bay
to weekly updates of all monitored beaches throughout California. All of this information
is available in print, via SMS text response, and on Heal the Bay’s website,
www.healthebay.org/brc.

Numerous Southern California beaches vied for the “Beach Bummer” crown this year
(the monitoring location with the poorest dry weather water quality). Six of the ten
most polluted beach areas in the state were in LA County.

The Top 10 Beach Bummers

1. Avalon Harbor Beach on Catalina Island (Los Angeles County)
2. Cabrillo Beach Harborside (Los Angeles County)
3. Pismo Beach Pier (San Luis Obispo County)
4. Colorado Lagoon (Los Angeles County)
5. Santa Monica Municipal Pier (Los Angeles County)
6. City of Long Beach at LA River outlet (Los Angeles County)
7. Poche Beach (Orange County)
8. Surfrider Beach at Malibu Creek (Los Angeles County)
9. Campbell Cove State Park Beach (Sonoma County)
10. Doheny Beach at San Juan Creek (Orange County)

However, most California beaches had very good water quality this past year during dry
weather, with 276 of 324(85%) locations receiving very good to excellent (A and B)
grades. Lower grades during the same time period include: 16 Cs (5%), 9 Ds (3%) and
23 Fs (7%).

I am Tim Johnson and this has been the California Business Minute.