The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is urging beachgoers to think twice before diving into the waves at several local beaches due to elevated bacterial levels. In a release that recently surfaced, officials pinpointed specific areas where the public should avoid contact with ocean water, including popular spots like Topanga Canyon Beach in Malibu and Inner Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro.
According to the recent advisory, which spans across multiple Los Angeles County beaches, there are various coastal locations where contamination levels have soared past state health standards. Whether you're planning on catching some waves at Malibu Lagoon at Surfrider Beach or you're eyeing a serene stroll along Marie Canyon Storm Drain at Puerco Beach, health officials are adamant that staying dry could, quite literally, keep you out of murky waters.
With particular concern for select beach areas, such as the entire swim area at both Inner Cabrillo Beach and Mothers Beach in Marina Del Rey, the caution extends beyond the surfers and swimmers to anyone intending to play or lounge near the affected spots. The proximity to storm drains such as Castlerock Storm Drain at Topanga County Beach and Ramirez Creek at Paradise Cove is deemed risky, given that the advisories typically follow rainstorms that can wash contaminants from city streets and into the ocean.
The advisory does come bearing tidings of improved conditions at Hermosa Beach Pier in Hermosa Beach, where water quality levels, cleared by the Department of Public Health, have returned within the acceptable standards of the state. Eager beach lovers can find solace in knowing there are still options for an aquatic escape without the worry of bacterial backlash.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health remains vigilant in its mission to safeguard the public against health risks associated with ocean water activities. For those seeking information on beach conditions 24-hours a day, the county provides updates through its beach closure hotline at 1-800-525-5662, or online at PublicHealth.LACounty.gov/Beach/ for those who prefer a more digital approach to their beach-bound precautions.
