EDITOR'S NOTE: Multimedia journalist Jo Kwon spoke with Heal the Bay's science and policy assistant director about water quality at local beaches. Click the arrow above to watch the video.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Hampered in part by winter storms, water quality declined at beaches across California in 2023-24, according to an annual report released Wednesday by an environmental group, which included two Los Angeles County locations on its dreaded “Beach Bummer” list.

What You Need To Know

  • The annual Beach Report Card released by Heal the Bay assigns letter grades — A through F — to beaches based on bacterial pollution levels

  • The report rates 700 Pacific Coast beaches stretching from Washington to Baja

  • Overall, 12 beaches in the state landed spots on Heal the Bay’s coveted Honor Roll, meaning they received A+ grades throughout the summer and winter reporting seasons

  • On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Santa Monica Pier beach and Mother’s Beach in Marina del Rey both earned spots on the Beach Bummer list, ranking among the most polluted beaches in the state

The annual Beach Report Card released by Heal the Bay assigns letter grades — A through F — to beaches based on bacterial pollution levels. The report rates 700 Pacific Coast beaches stretching from Washington to Baja.

According to the report, 89% of California beaches received A or B grades during the dry-weather summer months, a 6% decline from last year. Southern California beaches fared about the same as those statewide, with 90% of them receiving A or B grades.

During the winter season, however, only 66% of California beaches received overall A or B grades, according to the report, which noted that the state received 31% more rainfall during the reporting period than the 10-year average.

“89 California beaches were safe to swim at during summer 2023, but we are still seeing water quality impacts from record- breaking storms, urban runoff and sewage spills,” Tracy Quinn, Heal the Bay’s CEO and president, said in a statement. “California’s 20th century water infrastructure was not designed to address the challenges faced by climate change in the 21st century. We need to upgrade outdated sewage treatment facilities and prioritize public investment in nature-based, multi-benefit stormwater capture infrastructure.”

Overall, 12 beaches in the state landed spots on Heal the Bay’s coveted Honor Roll, meaning they received A+ grades throughout the summer and winter reporting seasons. That’s up from just two that made the list last year, but noticeably down from the traditional 30-50 beaches that normally earn perfect scores.

Of the 12 beaches on the Honor Roll, nine are in Orange County — Dana Point Harbor Fuel Dock, Huntington Harbor Seagate Lagoon, Huntington Harbor Trinidad Lane Beach, Newport Bay Promontory Point, Dana Point South Capistrano Bay Community Beach, Riviera Beach, Emerald Bay Beach, Marine Science Institute Beach and Salt Creek Beach. Two San Diego County locations — Point Loma Lighthouse and Encinitas Moonlight Beach — landed on the Honor Roll, along with County Line Beach in Ventura County.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Santa Monica Pier beach and Mother’s Beach in Marina del Rey both earned spots on the Beach Bummer list, ranking among the most polluted beaches in the state. The pier ranked third on the list, while Mother’s Beach placed ninth.

“The city of Santa Monica has wrestled for years with poor water quality at the Pier, which is plagued with droppings from roosting birds and urban runoff,” according to Heal the Bay. “The enclosed Mother’s Beach in Los Angeles County might attract families because of its placid waters, but very poor circulation has led to chronic bacterial exceedances.”

San Diego County and Baja combined to take six spots on the Beach Bummer list, thanks to “persistent sewage issues” from the Tijuana River. The Tijuana River Mouth in San Diego County took the top spot on the list.