Mother's Beach Lands On 'Beach Bummer' List — Again

MARINA DEL REY, CA — For the fourth time in as many years, Mother's Beach was again on the Heal the Bay's "Beach Bummer" list for being one of the most polluted beaches in California. Last year's wet winter didn't help matter much either.

While the wet winter helped bust the California's drought, it had the opposite effect on the beaches in Los Angeles County, according to a report released Thursday by the environmental group.

According to the group, the rain increased ocean bacteria levels during the wet winter months, ruining the improving water quality during the dry summer months. About 93 percent of the beaches in the county received "A" grades during the summer seasons, but nearly half earned an "F" during the winter months.

"We want people catching waves, not bugs, when they head to the beach," said Sarah Sikich, vice president of Heal the Bay. "The reassuring news is that if you swim at an open-ocean beach in the summer away from storm drains and creek mouths you statistically have very little risk of getting ill."

Mother's Beach was the ninth most polluted beach in the state, falling three spots from last year's list. It was one of two beaches in the county to land on the "Beach Bummer" list, the other being Santa Monica Pier, which was ranked sixth.

Orange County also had two beaches on the "bummer" list, with the San Clemente Pier placing second and Monarch Beach in Dana Point ranked 10th.

The most polluted beach in the state, according to the Beach Bummer list, was Clam Beach County Park in Humboldt County.

On a more positive note, four beaches in the county were listed on the organization's "Honor Roll," which recognizes beaches monitored year-round that score perfect A+ grades for the report’s three time periods — two in Malibu and two in Palos Verdes.

Statewide, 96 percent of the 416 monitored beaches earned overall grades of A or B, a slight improvement over last year, according to Heal the Bay.

Photo via Shutterstock