Although California is well known for its breathtaking coastline and immaculate beaches, not all of its shorelines are appropriate for swimming.
Certain California beaches might have dangerous bacteria or other toxins due to a variety of circumstances, such as pollution and runoff. Knowing which beaches are off-limits is vital if you want to safeguard your health.
We’ll provide you a list of California beaches that are toxic and that you should avoid in this article
Doheny State Beach, Dana Point
- Address: Dana Point, California 92629, 25300 Dana Point Harbor Dr.
- Potential risks include rainwater runoff, industrial pollutants, waste, and urban runoff.
- No beach restrictions, although there are advisories due to previous sewage leaks.
Doheny State Beach, another polluted California beach with over 6,000 favorable reviews, suffers from runoff problems that lead to contaminated water. Nevertheless, despite warnings against swimming, this beach isn’t frequently closed.
Additionally, there are numerous TripAdvisor reviews claiming that this beach is frequently unclean as a result of tourists failing to clean up after themselves, which is another reason to avoid.
Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica
- Address: 200 Santa Monica Pier, 90401 Santa Monica, California
- Possibilities include sewage leaks and high bacterial levels.
- Beach closures: According to LA County, these usually occur 100 yards “up and down the coast from the pier”.
It so happens that some of the most popular beaches in the nation are also some of the dirtiest. One of the city’s most popular attractions, Santa Monica Pier offers a plethora of activities, however it was closed because of the poor condition of the water.
Although the pier itself isn’t always blocked to traffic, a 200-yard stretch of beach near it is frequently closed due to warnings from LA County.
Border Field State Park, Imperial Beach
- Location: Imperial Beach, California, 92154; GVVG+34
- Potential risks: Sewage seepage and storm damage
- Beach closures: due to storm damage and problems with wastewater infrastructure, starting in August 2023
Similar to Imperial Beach, Border Field State Park is situated near the mouth of the Tijuana River and experiences sewage issues. Since 2023, Border Field State Park has also been closed due to storm damage that severely damaged the wastewater treatment system.
It’s recommended to stay away from this state park beach, especially because it experiences the similar sewage flow issues as the Tijuana River.
Lakeshore Park, San Mateo
- 1500 Marina Court, San Mateo, CA 94403 is the address.
- Potential risks: Water inert and urban runoff
- Beach closures: San Mateo County Health frequently closes beaches with warnings.
San Mateo’s Lakeshore Park has received excellent reviews, welcomes pets, and seems like a fun spot to hang out. The park has been listed as one of the state’s worst polluted beaches, nevertheless. The problems with this beach’s water are once more caused by urban runoff and sewage pollution.
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Imperial Beach At Seacoast Drive, San Diego
- Location: Imperial Beach, California; Seacoast Drive
- Potential risks: Pollution from sewage
- Beach closures: 900 days or more because of microorganisms (and odor) from sewage flows
Imperial Beach, the most polluted beach in America, is a contaminated San Diego coastline that poses several health risks. Its primary claim to notoriety as a terrible beach is the water’s consistent high sewage contamination tests.
Why does Imperial Beach have sewage? The geology of California and the Tijuana River’s daily discharge of more than 50 million gallons of sewage hold the key to the solution.
Source: 8 Contaminated Beaches To Avoid In California
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