A newly released app called the Swim Guide directs users to the closest and cleanest beaches. Water quality data is sourced from government agencies to provide user information on the water cleanliness for more than 300 California beaches.
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According to Heal the Bay, four of Californias most polluted beaches in 2011-12 are in Malibu. Two other local received perfect grades.
By Carly Erickson / Assistant Editor
Environmental group Heal the Bay released its 22nd Annual Beach Report Card last Thursday, and it was not kind to Malibu. Four Malibu beaches made the Beach Bummer list, a tally of the most polluted beaches in California. While the majority of Los Angeles county beaches saw improvement from last years report, some Malibu beach grades dropped.
In the 2010-2011 report, all Malibu beaches escaped the Beach Bummer List. This year, Puerco Beach at Marie Canyon, Surfrider Beach, Solstice Canyon Beach and Escondido Beach were all given F grades and placed on the Beach Bummer list. Topanga State Beach just south of Malibu also made the list this year and last year.
If you look at last years grades, those same beaches were still problematic, Heal the Bay water quality director Kirsten James told The Malibu Times.
James explained that in terms of the list of every beach in the state, some rise and drop out of the top 10 from year to year.
Theyre chronically impacted beaches, so this year they rose to the top in the state, James said. Were hopeful different measures moving forward can help quality at these beaches.
Not all Malibu beaches received failing grades. Two even made the reports Honor Roll. Encinal Canyon at El Matador State Beach and Las Flores State Beach received A+ grades.
Also on the positive side were Nicholas Beach, Walnut Creek, Puerco State Beach, Malibu Point, Big Rock, Pena Creek and Castlerock Beach, which all received As for their summer dry weather reading. Additionally, Leo Carrillo, Broad Beach, Paradise Cove and Carbon Beach received Bs.
Coming in the middle of the pack with C summer grades were Zuma Beach and the Latigo Canyon Creek Mouth. Little Dume received a D for its dry summer reading.
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See what beaches made the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium & the Richard Stockton College Coastal Research Center's annual list of New Jersey's Top 10 Beaches. Photo Credit: Kayleen Kane
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Much-needed sand is piling up on Oceanside beaches this week as the Army Corps of Engineers wraps up its annual dredging of the city harbor.
Enough sand was pulled out of the harbor this year to spread on the beach as far south as a playground near the Oceanside Municipal Pier.
That's a big improvement over last year, when winter storms had so eroded the beach that all of the harbor sand had to go to build up the portion of the beach north of the pier.
In all, more than 200,000 cubic yards of sand will be taken from the harbor for beach renourishment, harbor and beaches director Frank Quan said.
As part of the dredging, the Army Corps removed a sandbar that had built up at the mouth of the harbor, creating a hazard to boaters who had to fight their way through rough surf that was churned up as waves crashed over the sandbar.
"It's pretty much gone," Quan said.
In October, the Coast Guard issued a warning to mariners to be wary of the sandbar. An Army Corps of Engineers survey showed that the sandbar extended up to a third of the way across the harbor entrance, with water as shallow as 10 feet in some spots.
When the dredging is finished, Quan said the depth of the water will be 22 feet at the harbor entrance at zero tide, so boaters should have clear sailing entering and leaving the harbor.
Beachgoers should also notice a wider beach, with more room to spread out.
Even so, lifelong city resident John Daley said beach erosion "just seems to get worse each year, year after year."
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Nantasket Beach in Hull scored 100 percent for overall beach safety in the Save the Harbor/Save the Bay rankings. (Timothy Valentine/Flickr)
Some of Greater Bostons beaches rank among the cleanest urban beaches in the nation, but others continue to have pollution problems, according to a new report.
The environmental advocacy group Save the Harbor/Save the Bays first-ever beach report card, which ranked 18 Department of Conservation and Recreation beaches based on the percentage of time it was safe to swim in the water and on the accuracy of the flag system notifying swimmers of safe conditions, has high marks for a handful of local beaches.
Some of the regions beaches, including Nantasket Beach in Hull and the South Boston beaches, are safe for swimming nearly every day and rank among the cleanest urban beaches in the nation, Bruce Berman, the groups communications director, said in a release.
Nantasket Beach scored 100 percent for overall beach safety, followed by four South Boston beaches, all with scores above 94 percent.
However, Berman continued in the release, there continue to be pollution problems at some of the regions public beaches, including most of Wollaston Beach in Quincy, at Tenean Beach in Dorchester and at Kings Beach in Lynn. We need to address them
Of the 18 ranked by Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, Kings Beach in Lynn came in last, with 73 percent overall beach safety.
Speaking to our Newscast unit, Berman credited recent projects to remove garbage and human waste from Boston waters for the citys high beach rankings.
Before we began the project, the beaches in South Boston were closed for swimming as often as one out of five days, he said. And like I said, last year they were clean more than 98 percent of the time.
Save the Harbor/Save the Bay did find fault, however, with the warning flag system in South Boston and elsewhere.
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Note:This article originally appeared atThe Texas Tribune
The recent Texas Supreme Court decision inSeverance v. Pattersonhas some worried that the millions of Texans who visit the Texas coast each year will lose access to the states public beaches.
Despite such predictions of doom, Texas beaches will remain open and accessible. All the Court did is ensure that private property rights are not trampled by the public on their way to the beach.
After Hurricane Rita slammed into the Texas coast in 2005 and dramatically altered the vegetation line near the shore, Carol Severance found her house suddenly sitting on the beach.
She wasnt surprised by that because she knew the risk she was taking when she bought property near the beach. She was surprised, however, that the state of Texas intended to claim that her house now sat on thepublicbeach and was potentially subject to uncompensated demolition.
There is no dispute that prior to Rita a public easement allowed access to the beach seaward of Severances property. With the former beach under several feet of water, however, the question became whether that easement suddenly rolled landward after the hurricane to make Severances land the new public beach. A federal court hearing her dispute with the statewhich had sought to enforce an easement on her propertyasked the Texas Supreme Court for guidance on that question.
One of us, Bill Peacock, was in 2003-04 the primary official under the land commissioner responsible for the General Land Offices oversight of Texas beaches.
After touring the beaches numerous times and seeing the effects of both years of continuous erosion and recent stormsincluding houses on the beach and in the Gulf, it became obvious to him that the idea of public access to the beach suddenly being imposed onto private property after a storm presented major challenges to anyone interested in protecting private property rights.
Fortunately, Mr Peacock wasnt required to suspend his support of property rights to properly enforce the law.
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Florida has landed the No. 1 beach in the U.S. seven times, but not in 2012. This year's crown goes to Coronado Beach in San Diego, California, but that doesn't mean Florida still isn't the place to be for the finest stretches of sand.
The Sunshine State nabbed two of the Top 10 spots for 2012 with St. George Island State Park near Apalachicola at No. 4 and Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne at No. 8 Both beaches moved up two spots from the 2011 list. Of course, the thing about the list is once you win, you're no longer eligible for the list.
The annual Top 10 list now in its 22nd year, is put out by Dr. Beach, aka Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, Director of Florida International University's Laboratory for Coastal Research, before Memorial Day each year.
So out of 22 years, Florida's been No. 1 nearly a third of those years with Siesta Beach in 2011, Caladesi Island State Park north of Tampa in 2008, Fort DeSoto Park in St. Petersburg in 2005, St. Joseph Peninsula in Port St. Joe in 2002, St. Andrews State Park in Panama City in 1995, Grayton Beach State Park in Santa Rosa Beach in 1994 and Bahia Honda State Park on Big Pine Key in 1992.
Other Florida beaches that have made the Top 10 in the past six years, but not on this year's list include Barefoot Beach Park in Bonita Springs and Lighthouse Point Park in Ponce Inlet south of Daytona Beach.
Of the two beaches ranked in 2012, Leatherman had this to say:
No. 4: St. George Island State Park Florida panhandle. The Florida panhandle beaches are back as oil from the BP spill has vanished, and the sand is squeaky clean (just rub your feet on the sand and hear them squeak). The brilliant white sands and clear waters of St. George Island were fortunately not even impacted last summer. Stingrays are sometimes resting in the shallow waters so shuffle your feet when entering. Birding and fishing are very popular activities here.
No. 8: Cape Florida State Park Key Biscayne, Florida. Cape Florida State Park, located at the south tip of Key Biscayne, provides clear, emerald-colored waters and gentle surf. This fine, white coral sand beach is great for swimming, as waves are knocked down by a large sand shoal offshore. In addition, the Cape Florida Lighthouse allows for a breath-taking view of this beautiful beach.
Leatherman ranks beaches using 50 different criteria from quality of sand to safety.
The full 2012 list is as follows: 1. Coronado Beach San Diego, California 2. Kahanamoku Beach Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii 3. Main Beach East Hampton, New York 4. St. George Island State Park Florida panhandle 5. Hamoa Beach, Maui, Hawaii 6. Coast Guard Beach Cape Cod, Massachusetts 7. Waimanalo Bay Beach Park Oahu, Hawaii 8. Cape Florida State Park Key Biscayne, Florida 9. Beachwalker Park Kiawah Island, South Carolina 10. Cape Hatteras, Outer Banks of North Carolina
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29 May 2012 Last updated at 20:12 ET
More than 60 Scottish beaches have been granted official recognition for high standards of cleanliness, safety, and water quality.
Keep Scotland Beautiful (KSB) has given "seaside award" status to a total of 61 beaches.
Eight will also now be able to fly the internationally-acclaimed Blue Flag.
The environment charity said over the past 12 years the number of beaches achieving seaside awards has more than quadrupled.
The awards are given annually, with beaches from Aberdeenshire to the Borders, and from the Highlands to North Ayrshire, among those featured on the 2012 list.
Portobello beach in Edinburgh and Dunbar East beach in East Lothian are completely new entries.
Six of the sites which have been awarded blue flag status - for which beaches must pass 32 environmental criteria - are in Fife, with Kinghorn beach receiving recognition for the first time.
The other two blue flag winners are in Dundee and Coldingham in the Scottish borders.
Derek Robertson, chief executive of KSB, said: "With an increasing number of people choosing to take their holidays at home in Scotland, there has never been a better time to enjoy your local beach.
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Smokers can puff away at state parks, beaches and pools this summer after all.
After objections by a smokers' rights organization, Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration suspended its restrictions on smoking in parks, beaches, pools and historic sites that was to be enforced with a potential disorderly conduct ticket. The administration said Tuesday that the measures will be voluntary for at least two months while a full rule-making process including public comment is concluded.
For smokers like Subena Harris, it's all getting to be a bit much.
"I feel like I have to leave Planet Earth to have a cigarette," said Subena Harris, a New York City resident who was smoking in Albany. "And I pay taxes, just like everyone else. I work 40 hours a week, just like everyone else. I'm not going to stand around and blow smoke in people's faces, but I don't want to be ostracized doing the same things as non-smoking citizens do."
Audrey Silk, founder of the national Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment based in New York City, had objected to the state restriction announced in April. The order was set without public hearings and despite the Legislature's refusal to enact similar restrictions.
"Apparently the crusade against smokers to date has so emboldened government that the rule of law no longer need be practiced when it comes to its citizens that choose to smoke," Silk said
Dan Keefe, office spokesman for the state Parks Department, said the no-smoking order followed common practice at several parks facilities and was made as a consensus rule, which doesn't require public hearings. He said the state hadn't expected any opposition or controversy.
The state is now calling for voluntary restrictions by smokers, but the signs that say smoking is restricted in many areas will stay in place.
"There is only one way for the public to interpret this language," Silk says, "There's nothing to imply that the 'prohibition" is unenforceable, which it now clearly is.
"The Office of Parks' behavior goes from bad to worse from at least the facade of official policy-making to settling for simply fooling people with unofficial signs," Silk said.
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Readmore: Local, Community, Environment, Weather, Marquette, Waterfront Safety Task Force, South Beach, Marquette Fire Department, Flags, Rip Currents, Waves
MARQUETTE -- With the summer beach season upon us the Marquette fire department has begun its flag advisory system to indicate swimming conditions. The fire department is acting on behalf of the waterfront safety task force.
The task force was created by the Marquette city commission in 2010 and serves to alert swimmers if waves and rip currents pose a danger at local beaches. The beaches are now open and lifeguards are on duty at South Beach and McCarty's Cove.
"The beaches are attractive, its important for people to know that we have two guarded beaches, they're large beaches, it is about keeping people safe, the program is constant we're always trying to come up with new ideas to increase that safety and to lower the risk," said Marquette Fire Chief Tom Belt.
The system uses colored flags to alert swimmers.A green flag means calm waves, yellow means waves from2-4 ft and red means high hazard, no swimming. For more information on the swimming conditionsclick here.
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May 29, 2012 in Idaho State will remove polluted soil at four sites alongriver
From Staff Reports
Washington will spend $600,000 to clean up heavy metals from four popular Spokane River beaches this summer, reducing exposure risks for people andwildlife.
The work will be done at Barker Road on the north side of the river and at Islands Lagoon, Myrtle Point and Flora Road on the south side of theriver.
Beach cleanup will begin in late summer when river levels are low and finish in the fall. Temporary closures at the beaches and along parts of the Centennial Trail are expected during thework.
Lead, arsenic, zinc and cadmium from historic mining activity were deposited on the beaches after washing downstream from Idahos Silver Valley. The Washington Department of Ecology will remove polluted soil and install a foot-thick protective gravel cap at thesites.
At the Flora Road beach, a new cap will be installed to replace the clean gravel that was washed away during last years high flows. The initial cleanup work at Flora Road was done in 2009. At each of the beaches, native vegetation will be planted to help stabilize theshoreline.
A 1998 study identified nine Spokane River beaches in Washington that were contaminated with heavy metals from upstream mining activity. Previous cleanup efforts targeted polluted soil at beaches at Starr Road, Island complex, Murray Road and Harvard Road North. The beach on the south side of the river at Barker Road remains on the cleanuplist.
Money for this years cleanup effort comes from a $6 million fund to remove environmental toxins from sites in Eastern Washington. The fund gets its money through the states voter-approved tax on hazardoussubstances.
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POSTED: 10:47 am PDT May 28, 2012
UPDATED: 8:43 pm PDT May 28, 2012
Copyright 2012 by 10News.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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28 May 2012 Last updated at 11:19 ET
Stretches of algae, which can give off an unpleasant smell, have been reported on some Denbighshire beaches.
The local authority said the non-toxic marine algal blooms were affecting the north Wales coast.
In windy conditions the phaeocystis algae - not uncommon in spring and early summer - appears as foam, but looks oily in calm weather.
The council said it smells like cabbage when it is dying. Although not dangerous, contact should be avoided.
Earlier this month, similar algae washed up on beaches in Swansea and Pembrokeshire was mistaken for raw sewage.
Following that incident, Environment Agency Wales said it could cause mild skin irritation if handled, and contact should be avoided.
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May 28, 2012 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- Crowds packed beaches as Chicago sweltered under the sun Monday on the hottest Memorial Day on record.
Dennis Kaehr and his family got to North Avenue Beach by 8 a.m. Monday. As early birds, the Oak Lawn family was able to get a nice spot by the water.
"I got the prime location right here, but the reason why we came out early is because when I used to come out here a lot of times a few years back, usually this whole place would be packed," Kaher said.
"Got to get the good parking and a good spot on the beach it's going to be a good time today," Austin Jump said.
Chicago is in for a sizzling hot memorial day. A second day of record breaking heat may be in store.
"We're exercising before it gets too hot and then we're gonna spend the rest of the day at our pool," Janet Kowalski, walker, said.
The Chicago Fire Department says they'll have teams of bike paramedics patrolling the lakefront. Emily Petrosko will be playing sand volleyball, but she packed plenty of water and ice.
"I'll drink lots of water and just try to go in the shade every once in awhile," Emily Petrosko, volleyball player, said.
Last year on Memorial Day, police shut down north avenue beach at around 5:30 p.m. after eight people suffered heat-related illnesses.
Anyone planning to be outside Monday is reminded to wear protective sunscreen and cool clothing and to drink lots of water.
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Just in time for summer, we present the list of top 10 beaches across the USA. Dr. Beach, aka. Stephen P. Leatherman, a professor at Florida International University, compiles his annual rankings of beaches from coast to coast - and coast to coast (East, West, Gulf and Hawaiian). Click on the slide show to see which made the top 10.
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Broward, Palm Beach beaches not nationally acclaimed (again)
For yet another year, beaches in Broward and Palm Beach counties have failed to make the Top 10 list published by the South Florida professor known as Dr. Beach.
The latest ranking, issued Friday, proclaimed Coronado Beach, across the bay from San Diego, Calif., as America's best. It also continued a bleak trend for coastal Broward and Palm Beach counties. For 22 years, no stretch of local shoreline has ever made the Top 10.
So what's the problem?
"There are 650 beaches [analyzed] in the country, it's very hard to make that top 10 list," said Stephen P. Leatherman, director of Florida International University's Laboratory for Coastal Research, also known as "Dr. Beach."
Still, "you've got a list of very nice beaches" in the two counties that he has ranked in the "20s and 30s," Leatherman said.
Dr. Beach rates beaches using 50 criteria, including sand and water quality, weather, facilities, safety, environmental management and crowds. He visits top 10 candidates incognito to collect sand and water samples for study.
He does have his favorites here, such as Pompano Beach.
"I really like that beach," Leatherman said. "But there is no perfect beach; I haven't found a perfect beach."
Other places have no shot at being included in his hit parade.
"I like Hollywood, but there's too much development on the beach, that's not going to be on the Top 10 list," he said. Dr. Beach likes some amenities, but not too many. "People are looking for some creature comforts. I'm looking for that balance. There are some in Boca that have potential. That's what I'm looking for," he said.
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Broward, Palm Beach County beaches not nationally acclaimed (again)
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Most beaches from Marina del Rey to San Pedro aced water quality tests last year during the dry summer season, although several sites along the South Bay coastline earned failing scores during rain events, a new report has found.
The 2011-12 Beach Report Card - released annually by the group Heal the Bay before Memorial Day weekend - is based on water sampling for fecal bacteria pollution conducted by health agencies and dischargers along the West Coast.
This year's report analyzed 650 sites for summer dry-weather water quality and more than 300 locations year-round, grading them on an A-F scale. Samples were collected from April 2011 to March 2012.
The higher the grade, the lower the risk of swimmers getting ill with the stomach flu, skin rashes and ear and upper respiratory infections.
In many areas, wet-weather grades drag behind dry-weather scores. During rainy periods, stormwater runoff can flow untreated toward the coast, carrying contaminants such as trash, animal waste and pesticides.
Locally, several sites earned A's during the summer (dry) monitoring period but got F's for wet-weather scores. They include the Imperial Highway storm drain near Los Angeles International Airport, Grand Avenue at El Segundo's beach, 28th Street in Manhattan Beach and the Herondo Street storm drain on the Hermosa/Redondo Beach border.
Heal the Bay is drawing attention to low wet weather scores in hopes of encouraging infrastructure
"There's still a lot of F's that we're dealing with in the wet weather," she said. "We've had some success."
James said she believes government agencies will have to take a "multipronged approach" to solving the problem by pursuing new projects and low-impact development rules.
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San Diego CVB
Coronado Beach in San Diego tops this year's list of best beaches, compiled annually by "Dr. Beach" Stephen Leatherman.
By Rob Lovitt, msnbc.com contributor
According to Stephen Leatherman, aka Dr. Beach, there are approximately 650 major public recreational beaches in the United States. Only one, though, can be No. 1.
What strand of sand earns that designation? This year, the honor goes to Coronado Beach near San Diego, which tops Leathermans 2012 annual list of the Top 10 Beaches in the country. Released on Friday, the full list includes:
The annual list, which Leatherman has compiled since 1991, is based on 50 criteria, ranging from natural conditions (sand softness, water temperature, wave size) to human-related factors (for example, noise, trash or public safety).
Stretching from the iconic Hotel del Coronado to Silver Strand State Beach, this years winner rose from second place in 2011 and third place in 2010.
Its flat and hundreds of yards wide so its great for walking and playing, said Leatherman, who has spent much of his career researching and monitoring beaches as director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University in Miami.
It has a fantastic Mediterranean climate. The water quality is excellent, and theres a great lifeguarding program so its safe for families, he told msnbc.com.
For Leatherman, the annual list is part of a lifelong passion for coastal environments, an interest that stretches from his childhood in Charlotte, N.C., where his parents built him a backyard sandbox, to the publication of his latest book, Field Guide to the Waters Edge (National Geographic Books, $21.95), earlier this month.
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Even chilly waters can be a welcome beach experience: This year's award for best beach in the United States goes to Coronado Beach in San Diego, where the waters are considered warm only if you're not visiting from the East.
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