Los Angeles beachgoers, you might want to rethink your weekend plans. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is warning the public to steer clear of the water at several popular beaches due to elevated levels of bacteria. According to the County of Los Angeles, California, areas from Las Flores State Beach to Mothers Beach in Marina Del Rey are affected by these warnings, posing potential health risks for those seeking to swim, surf, or play in the ocean.
In what seems to be a recurring issue for the county, visitors looking to cool off in the Pacific should particularly avoid entire swim areas at Las Flores Creek, Walnut Creek at Paradise Cove, and several more locations listed on the department's advisory. The warnings have been issued due to bacterial levels that harshly exceed state health standards, a problem that tends to amplify following storm drain runoff.
On a brighter note, it's not all doom and gloom for beach enthusiasts. The Department of Public Health has given the all-clear for Ballona Creek at Dockweiler State Beach, near Dockweiler Tower 40. Updates on these advisories are made available to the public via a 24-hour beach closure hotline, and for those looking to get the complete picture, a map of the impacted locations is provided at the PublicHealth.LACounty.gov/Beach/ website.
To stay up to date on current beach conditions, the public can access recorded information around the clock by calling 1-800-525-5663, where updates to necessarily keep beachgoers informed are regularly posted.
