As Californians head out for the three-day Memorial Day weekend, a pair of reports released in May shed light on the state of waterways in the state that may give holidaymakers pause before wading into a local beach, lake or river.
The Santa Monica Pier ranked among California’s most polluted beaches during dry weather conditions for the fifth consecutive year, according to the annual Heal the Bay report card, which tracks and analyzes bacterial pollution at hundreds of beaches across the West Coast from Washington State to Baja California and 35 freshwater recreation sites in Los Angeles County.
The report stated conditions at the popular tourist destination highlight “persistent water quality challenges.”
“Despite years of investment and remediation efforts, elevated bacteria levels continue to pose a direct public health risk for millions of beachgoers,” the report continued.
Across California, the report noted, “broader statewide water quality trends tied to increased rainfall,urban runoff, aging stormwater infrastructure, and persistent pollution hotspots across bothcoastal and freshwater recreation areas.”
While the report found 91% of California beaches earned A or B grades during summer dry conditions, during wet weather grades declined statewide, dropping from 67% to 61% during storms.
Pacifica, San Luis Obispo, San Diego beaches bacteria hotspots
The Surfrider Foundation’s annual Clean Water Report includes their top 10 beach bacteria hot spots, recreational beaches where testing consistently reveals dangerous levels of fecal bacteria that threaten the health of swimmers, surfers, and families.
In 2025, the foundation’s 60 Blue Water Task Force labs processed 10,157 water samples collected from 620 distinct sampling sites across 16 coastal states, including Puerto Rico and parts of British Columbia.
In California, Linda Mar Beach in Pacifica, San Luis Creek at Avila Beach in San Luis Obispo and Imperial Beach in San Diego made the report’s “top ten beach bacteria hotspots” for 2025.
While these three beaches made the top 10, the most recent samples taken at Imperial Beach and San Luis Creek at Avila Beach in April and May, respectively, returned results that meet water quality standards set by California State Water Resources Control Board, the report noted.
Samples taken at Linda Mar Beach in May continue to find elevated levels of Enterococcus, a type of bacteria found in the digestive tract and genitals. The crescent-shaped beach, located at the mouth of San Pedro Valley in Pacifica is popular for many recreational pursuits, including kayaking, surfing and whale watching in the spring.
San Mateo County makes ‘beach bummer’ list
The Heal the Bay report mirrors Surfrider findings when it comes to San Mateo County beaches, which includes Linda Mar Beach.
According to the report’s annual Beach Report Card, six of the 10 “Beach Bummer” sites were in San Mateo County, with many located in “enclosed harbor and lagoon systems where limited circulation contributes to chronic bacteria pollution.”
In addition to Linda Mar Beach at San Pedro Creek, the other “beach bummer” sites in San Mateo County include: Erckenbrack Park, Parkside Aquatic Park (Pillar Point Harbor), Capistrano Road Beach (Pillar Point Harbor), Harbor Beach, and Marlin Park.
Clam Beach County Park at Strawberry Creek in Humboldt County and Tijuana Slough at Tijuana RiverMouth in San Diego County rounded out the top 10.
What are health risks of bacteria-infested waters?
Recreating in bacteria infested waters pose health risks, with an estimated 57 million illnesses, from gastrointestinal problems to respiratory infections, occurring each year, according to the National Library of Medicine.
Often, “bacteria enters waterways through sewage overflows and stormwater runoff,” according to Environment America, Research and Policy Center, “both of which can be dramatically reduced with adequate infrastructure investment.”
House appropriators are scheduled to consider a spending bill that makes a 27% cut to the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, which is the main federal funding program for stopping sewage and runoff pollution, the policy center states. “Unless Congress extends separate funding that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has provided in recent years, states will experience an even steeper decline in resources to stop sewage pollution.”
“No one should get sick from a weekend in our waters,” said Heal the Bay CEO Tracy Quinn in a statement. “These findings are a reminder that water quality isn’t just a report, it’s a public health issue that affects every beachgoer and river user across California.”
This article originally appeared on Salinas Californian: Several California beaches identified as ‘bacteria hotspots’
Reporting by Roseann Cattani, Salinas Californian / Salinas Californian
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
