HealthUS

Complete List of California Beaches Residents Are Warned to Avoid

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The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (DPH) is asking the public not to visit 18 beaches because of unacceptable levels of bacteria.

Los Angeles DPH officials warned local residents last week not to swim, surf and play in the ocean in some areas earlier this month due to the presence of dangerous “pathogenic bacteria” in the water.

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On Wednesday, officials released an updated list of beaches deemed unsafe “because bacteria levels exceeded health standards when last tested,” limiting access to millions of people living in the Los Angeles area.

While the warning remains in effect for all listed beaches at the time of publication, a DPH Los Angeles spokesperson said Newsweek via email on Friday afternoon that another update will be released later in the day.

Complete List of Beaches California Bacteria Warning
Beachgoers are pictured near the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, California on April 29, 2024. Public health officials this week warned residents to avoid 18 beaches in Los Angeles County, including Santa Monica, because …


Robin L Marshall

Here is the full list of beaches that the public should avoid starting Thursday evening:

  • Santa Monica Canyon Creek at Will Rogers State Beach-near Will Rogers Tower 18, 100 meters up and down the coast from the creek.
  • Topanga Canyon Beach in Malibu-100 meters up and down the beach from the lagoon.
  • Mother’s Beach in Marina Del Rey-all swimming areas.
  • Malibu Lagoon at Surfrider Beach-100 yards up and down the beach from the public restrooms.
  • Santa Monica Pier-100 yards up and down the beach from the pier.
  • Trancas Creek at Zuma Beach-100 meters up and down the coast from the creek.
  • Malibu Pier-100 yards up and down the beach from the pier.
  • Inner Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro-all swimming areas.
  • Escondido Creek at Escondido State Beach-all swimming areas.
  • Dockweiler State Beach-Westchester Storm Drain, 100 meters up and down the beach from the storm drain.
  • Santa Monica Beach-Pico-Kenter storm drain, Santa Monica South Tower 20, 100 meters up and down the beach from the storm drain.
  • Walnut Creek at Paradise Cove-all swimming areas.
  • Solstice Creek at Dan Blocker County Beach-all swimming areas.
  • Puerco Beach-Marie Canyon Storm Drain, 100 meters up and down the beach from public access steps.
  • Carbon Canyon Beach-Sweetwater Canyon Storm Drain, all swimming areas.
  • Topanga County Beach-Castlerock Storm Drain, all swimming areas.
  • Latigo Shore Drive in Malibu-100 meters up and down the beach from public access steps.
  • Ramirez Creek in Paradise Cove-100 meters up and down the beach from Paradise Cove Pier.

Updates to beach warnings are indicated in recorded messages over the phone on the county’s “beach closure hotline” at 1-800-525-5662.

A DPH Los Angeles spokeswoman previously said Newsweek that all warnings will remain in effect until tests show bacteria levels meet state standards for seawater.

“Rain flushes dirt and pollution from city streets into storm drains, rivers, and streams,” the spokesman explained. “Contamination such as trash, fertilizers, and pet waste can increase the levels of harmful microorganisms called ‘pathogenic bacteria’ in the ocean to unsafe levels.”

“These pathogenic bacteria can be present at or near sites where contaminated discharges enter the water,” he said. “In addition, docks can attract seabirds and marine mammals that can lead to high levels of bacteria due to faecal contamination.”

Beaches affected by bacterial contamination are not limited to California. On Thursday, officials in Massachusetts closed more than 40 beaches in the state mostly because of bacteria levels, while the same problem led to the closure of 60 beaches in Long Island, New York.