Beach Report Card - California Coastkeeper Alliance

a continuous schedule for seven days a week.Additionally, in April 2010 numerous bird deterrentdevices were installed around the beacharea, possibly leading to reduced bacteria concentrationsin the beach water. Improved waterquality may be a combination of these improvementprojects, as this year Mother’s Beachearned A grades during the AB411 period at allthree sampling locations (playground area, lifeguardtower and boat dock).Heal the Bay remains concerned with the poorwater quality still observed at Cabrillo Beachdespite extensive water quality improvementprojects, including replacement of beach sandin the intertidal zone, removal of rock jetty,removal of abandoned storm drains and sewers,and the newly installed bird exclusion devices.With more than $15 million invested inimproving water quality at Cabrillo’s harborsidebeach, the city is still violating TMDL limits. Arecent workshop hosted by the city of Los Angelesinvestigated possible next steps towardsimproving water quality at this problematic location,in order for the city to meet bacteriacompliance standards at this site.Historically, the beach adjacent to the mouthof Ramirez Canyon Creek at Paradise Cove inMalibu has exhibited high levels of fecal indicatorbacteria. In February 2009, Kissel Company,owner of the Paradise Cove Mobilehome Park inMalibu, was issued a proposed $1.65 million fineby the Regional Water Board for allowing rawor partially treated sewage to spill into RamirezCreek and the ocean. Specifically, the proposedfine covered the failure to comply withnumerous prescribed Time Schedule Orders,discharge of raw sewage and failure to submitmonitoring reports. The Regional Water Board,due to perceived administrative errors in theirenforcement case, reduced the fine to $54,500.Heal the Bay appealed this greatly reduced fineto the SWRCB. The appeal has been pending formore than 18 months now, which is unacceptable.The SWRCB needs to deem the petitioncomplete and schedule a hearing on the enforcementaction as soon as possible. The goodnews, however, is that the Kissel Company finallycompleted the sewer system and sewagetreatment plant for the mobile home park.Several years ago, the owner of these properties,working with the Santa Monica Baykeeper,installed a runoff treatment facility near themouth of Ramirez Creek. However, the facilitywas under-designed and needed to be replacedwith a bigger facility. A project for animproved runoff treatment facility near themouth of Ramirez Creek facility was approvedby the SWRCB as part of the CBI. This projectwas completed July 2010 under the cityof Malibu’s leadership. Though Paradise Coveshowed improvement in the first four months,water quality became sporadic throughout thewinter months with consistently poor gradesthrough the end of March 2011. After these unexpectedresults, Heal the Bay made a site visitto Paradise Cove and observed algae and otherorganic material near the treatment facility’sdischarge pipe and adjacent storm drain. Thisorganic material may be harboring bacteriaand re-suspending it into the treated or pond-Paradise CoveParadise Cove. Photo: Luwin KwanThough Paradise Cove showed improvement in the first four months,water quality became sporadic throughout the winter months withconsistently poor grades through the end of March 2011.40