Pillar Point Harbor beach was mostly unswimmable this summer

Heal the Bay has released its 2005 California Summer Beach Report Card [PDF]. Overall, Coastside beaches did well, with 18 beaches in San Mateo County receiving A’s.  However, Pillar Point Harbor at Capistrano Avenue Beach [Google map], which received the County’s only F grade. Also, both Fitzgerald Marine Reserve at San Vicente Creek and Venice Beach at Frenchman’s Creek received grades of C.

However, for the most recent 4-week period, Pillar Point Harbor received a C and Venice Beach a D, with all other County beaches getting an A or A+. [Report card at Heal the Bay]

The problem at Pillar Point Harbor is long-standing. The site suffers from lack of circulation because of the breakwater, plenty of birds, and other sources of pollution from its use as a harbor.

San Francisco County received 11 A’s and 2 B’s, and Santa Cruz received 11 A’s but two of its beaches were closed this summer.

According to Heal the Bay, the overall water quality at California beaches this past summer was very good. Of the approximately 450 monitoring locations throughout California, 407 locations (91%) received very good-to-excellent water quality marks (365 A’s and 42 B’s). There were 41 locations (9%)  that received fair-to-poor water quality marks (20 C’s, 6 D’s and 15 F’s). Overall, California’s summer beach water quality grades were slightly better than the summers of 2004 and 2003.

The grades are based on dry weather water quality data provided collected between Memorial Day and September 30, 2005. 

Heal the Bay

This month, Pillar Point Harbor received a C and Venice Beach a D.