Fewer Southern California beaches make Heal the Bay’s annual ‘Honor Roll’ list

When it rains, it pours – and flushes pollution straight into local waters.

Last winter’s wet, rainy season put a damper on water quality throughout Southern California, with fewer beaches making the annual “Honor Roll” list in Heal the Bay’s Beach Report Card, now in its 36th year.

And if you’re headed to the beach this Memorial Day, there’s one popular place you may want to steer clear of, with the area around the Santa Monica Pier once again landing on the dreaded “Beach Bummer” list.

The yearlong analysis, released just ahead of the busy beach holiday weekend, spotlights shorelines that fared well in wet and dry conditions over the last year, but also troubled stretches of coast that have chronic issues that can be hazardous to beachgoers’ health.

“At Heal the Bay, we believe a day at the beach or river should never make anyone sick,” said Heal the Bay CEO Tracy Quinn at a press conference on the sand in Santa Monica on Wednesday, May 20. “This year’s report tells a clear story. There is a strong correlation between rain, urbanization, and pollution.”

The annual report card also reveals broader statewide water quality trends tied to increased rainfall, urban runoff, aging stormwater infrastructure, and persistent pollution hotspots across both coastal and freshwater recreation areas, the environmental organization said.

An estimated 100 million people visit California beaches each year, and the report is designed to encourage protection from bacteria-laden ocean water that can lead to illnesses.

The report card aims at translating complex water quality data into simple grades that help the public know when and where it is safe to enter the water.

More than 700 beaches along the West Coast, from Washington to Mexico, were analyzed, with 500 of them in California.

This is a developing story, please check back for updates.