Rivers and creeks emptying into the ocean from Pacifica to San Simeon are being seriously harmed by pollution from urban and agricultural runoff, say Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary officials and local conservation groups.
Eighteen sampling sites displayed high levels of fecal coliform bacteria, which means that the waters were unsafe for humans to contact, according to a "snapshot day" report.
Among the hot spots were the Tembladero Slough drainage off Monterey Bay, Lidell Creek in Santa Cruz and Pilarcitos Creek in San Mateo County, where the fecal coliform bacteria found at one site was nearly 60 times the level considered safe for swimming.
In addition, 16 sites were found to have high levels of nitrates or phosphates, which are deadly to aquatic life. Several rivers and creeks also showed very low levels of oxygen, which all aquatic animals need to breathe.
The contaminants came from both urban and rural sources, and could pose a health risk to swimmers, surfers, divers or anyone else who enters the water.
Fecal coliform, for instance, can cause hepatitis A, bacterial meningitis and encephalitis.
The report released Wednesday summarizes detailed studies from the largest simultaneous water-quality monitoring program ever conducted in California, said Linda Sheehan, director of the Pacific Region for the Center for Marine Conservation.
On April 22, Earth Day, more than 100 trained volunteers tested 89 rivers and creeks at 122 sampling sites spanning 300 miles of Central California coast.
"Almost a third of the sites tested for fecal coliform exceeded state standards, which means you could get sick from touching the water if you had a cut on your hand or touched your face," Sheehan said.
Since the testing was done on a cool, overcast day in the spring, Sheehan said it probably would have shown much worse results during the summer when water temperatures are higher and flushing from rains is less frequent.
The one-day monitoring is considered critically important in light of recent beach closures because it identifies specific hot spots and their problems that need to be urgently corrected, said Holly Price, water quality director for the sanctuary.
Last year in Santa Cruz County, seven beaches were posted with signs warning of high bacteria counts for a total of 50 days, Price said. One beach was closed for two days because of sewage spill.
In Monterey County last year, sewage spills closed two beaches on four occasions, and seven beaches were posted on 24 occasions because of high bacteria counts, Price said.
"There should be better warnings now alerting us when it is safe to be on the beaches," Price said. "We need to take extra measures to go back up the watersheds and find out how to reduce the number of beach closings."
Armed with test tubes, thermometers, buckets and cameras, the volunteers fanned out through the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary's 11 major watersheds. They monitored temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity and, at selected sites, nutrients and bacteria levels.
"The data collected by volunteers . . . helps to establish much needed baseline information about the health of sanctuary watersheds as well as flag potential problem areas," said William Douros, superintendent of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
Currently, less than 5 percent of California's waters are tested on a regular basis by government agencies because of a lack of funds and staff, sanctuary officials said.
The report wasn't all bad, Price said. It pointed up that the ocean waters off the sanctuary coast were generally in very good condition, particularly when compared with other parts of the country like the Chesapeake Bay and Gulf of Mexico.
But some areas along the Central California coast continue to be plagued by pollutants from many sources, the report says. One of them is the immensely popular area near Fitzgerald Marine Reserve in San Mateo County. There a sign continues to warn school children that San Vicente Creek, which empties into the ocean near the reserve beach, is unsafe because of high levels of fecal coliform bacteria. High nitrate levels are also a problem.
"It's from livestock, septic tanks, a whole gamut of things," said Robert Breen, a San Mateo County Parks and Recreation naturalist at the reserve. "The ocean waters are OK, it's just the creek. The kids are attracted to that creek, but they are not going to read the signs, and sometimes the parents don't either."
|
If you have come to this page from an outside location click here to get back to mindfully.org |