Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
GLORIA PENNER (Host): Our local beaches
and bays will likely be packed this weekend
with people enjoying Memorial Day weekend.
Earlier this week, Heal The Bay released its 2010 beach report
that assigned A to F grades
to 450 beaches throughout California.
KPBS Environment Reporter Ed Joyce joins us now
to explain how San Diego beaches fared in the annual report.
Ok , Ed , overall how did our local beaches do?
ED JOYCE (KPBS News): During dry weather,
98 percent of the beaches received A grades.
So very good, excellent grades during dry weather.
However, during wet weather, a different story with the rain
and the runoff that brings pollution to the beaches.
About one in five San Diego County beaches received C
to F grades.
PENNER: Well one of our local beaches was listed
on the report's Beach Bummers list
for the 10 worst beaches in the state.
Where is that beach?
JOYCE: Vacation Isle North Cove Beach in Mission Bay -
and that's mostly because it's an enclosed beach.
There's not a lot of circulation of the bay and exchange
of ocean water into the bay.
So it's traditionally kind of a mucky area, so to speak.
PENNER: So that's why it received an F grade.
JOYCE: That's why it received an F grade
and why it made the Beach Bummer list at number nine.
PENNER: OK, a few of the other beaches also received F grades
during wet weather?
JOYCE: That would be Oceanside Beach
at the San Luis Rey River outlet, Ocean Beach at Dog Beach
at the San Diego River outlet, Imperial Beach
at Carnation projection point
and then also Silver Strand at Coronado.
PENNER: So, why do these beaches have problems during
wet weather?
JOYCE: Well, predominantly what we have
in San Diego is the run-off issue.
We have pesticides, fertilizers, oil, people washing cars,
not picking up after their animals on the streets,
sidewalks and other areas.
All of that during rain, washes into the storm drains
and those storm drains drain out into the ocean
through the rivers and through the storm drain system
and that pollution finds its way into the ocean,
creating harmful bacteria of all types.
PENNER: But the rest of the time it's okay to use those beaches?
JOYCE: Unless there's signs posted.
Generally, the signs posted will say don't go into the beach
or into the ocean 72 hours after a rain.
That's probably good advice to follow all the time.
PENNER: Okay, but I did read in your report that there is a lack
of funding for beach water quality monitoring so what kind
of a problem is that creating?
JOYCE: Well Gov.
Schwarzenegger cut the funding in 08.
That funding was not restored.
Some local municipalities, counties picked-up some
of the funding but the problem is without money
to test we do not know what is in the water.
We don't know how safe the water is or is not and a lot
of areas aren't being tested so it's more
of a risk to public health.
A lot of volunteers are stepping up to do testing
but they don't have unlimited budgets.
PENNER: So where can people -
now you've given some information -
and you've given more on your reports, where can people go
for more information on this?
JOYCE: They can go to KPBS.org.
They can look at the report.
We have links to the Heal The Bay report
which are really comprehensive information on what's
in the water, how they do the testing,
and what's needed going forward in terms of statewide funds
to monitor the water in our oceans.
PENNER: When you talked about a lack of funding
for beach quality monitoring,
can't people monitor it themselves?
Can't you just take some kind of little kit,
walk into the water and test it out?
JOYCE: It's not that easy.
There's a lot of sophisticated testing that goes
on when you sample the water and the process for doing that.
It's not something the layperson can really do.
It's really important that we have quality testing
that continues year -round in all of these areas -
whether it's dry weather or wet weather.
PENNER: Okay so we are hitting Memorial Day weekend -
how many tens of thousands
of people do we know are coming to the beach.
JOYCE: Well it looks like tourism is going to be
up this year - at least five percent.
San Diego County is usually in the top five
as a destination site for California travelers
and it will probably be just the same again this weekend
and the fire pits are going to be hot and smoking all weekend.
PENNER: Well thank you very much Ed Joyce.
JOYCE: Thank you Gloria.